


let's bet on it | kim taehyung

by snowyjoonie



Category: K-pop, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Angst, Cute Park Jimin (BTS), Dom Kim Taehyung | V, Drama, F/M, Love Triangle, Mentioned Jung Hoseok | J-Hope, Mentioned Kim Namjoon | RM, Romance, Shy Jeon Jungkook, Soft Min Yoongi | Suga, Sweet Kim Seokjin | Jin, Teen Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-27
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:00:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 42
Words: 43,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24410221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowyjoonie/pseuds/snowyjoonie
Summary: if areum knew how many times that boy would break her heart, she would have never fallen in love with him. but it's too late, she just can't get enough of him.
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

areum hated high school. especially her high school. it was the school for the filthy rich. the school was literally split in two, only one side was larger than the other. you had the kids that, of course, had parents with money. then you had kids like areum. the ones that were only going to this prestigious, private school because of good grades. if you didn't have money however, you were trash. people didn't care if you were smart or if you were talented, it was all about your background and which family you came from. 

no one cares about you personally, just your money. the kids are cold and mean. everything they did had an ulterior motive, school was just a big game for them. if areum had a choice, she'd leave. she'd go back home to the small, little town that she grew up in with her older brother. she'd forget about the pricks that surround her everyday and she'd be happy.

but her brother was bent on her going to a good high school so she could get a full ride to college, if that was what she chose to do after high school. he wanted her to have that option. he wanted the best for her and if going to this school full of bullies and apathetic teachers made her brother smile, then so be it. she'll swallow her pride and ignore all the hateful comments she receives and pretend she doesn't hear the way they laugh behind her back.

"areum." at the sound of her name, she was pulled out of her thoughts. she glanced over at the owner of the voice and smiled. kim seokjin. her only friend and she was thankful because without him, she was an easy target. when she became friends with him, she had a lot less of a problem coming to school. people were quiet, but she could still feel the way their eyes bore into her back, wishing she'd leave. he was always there to protect her though, no one even thought of touching her because jin was always there to fend anyone off. "you're not paying attention to me." he pouted, sticking his bottom lip out slightly. she laughed, shutting her locker, and tapping his chin with her fingers.

"i'm sorry. i was just thinking." she told him truthfully, she hooked her arm around his. "what were you saying again?" he chuckled, smiling down at her as they made their way down the hallway.

"there's a party tonight. will you come?" he must have seen her face scrunch up in disgust and quickly continued before she could protest. "please? you'll be by my side the whole time. no one will bother you. i just want to go out and have some fun with you. please?" he was pouting again and he knew she could never say no to that cute face of his.

"jinnie, you know i hate going to those stupid parties. i don't fit in." she told him and he stopped her, watching her with careful eyes. "i can tell by their judging eyes that they don't want me to be there."

"please, come this once. if it gets too much for you, we'll leave. we'll leave and go get milkshakes and go sit under the stars, okay?" she sighed, fidgeting under his gaze. 

"fine, but as soon as i want to leave, you take me away, okay?" he grinned happily and nodded, his hand squeezing hers.

"this is why i love you!" he hummed, throwing his arms around her and dragging her into the classroom. the whispers and cold glares didn't go unnoticed and she quickly pulled herself out of his arms, hitting his chest lightly.

"you better!"


	2. Chapter 2

"j-jin, i ch-change my mind. can i go?" areum suddenly panicked as soon as her friend pulled her into the club. her eyes flickered around, seeing how tightly packed the place was. she clung to jin's arm, as he continued to lead her through the crowd of people clung to each other, desperate to be close. she shuddered, lacing her fingers with jin's. "i really hate you." she told him as he helped her sit down at the bar. "you know i don't like places like this. you didn't tell me the party was here? opppaaa~ why are we here?" she continued to whine, but he ignored her and started to order a couple of drinks from the bartender. it surprised her how easily underage students could get drinks, but she supposes most their customers were students like them.

"it's a party. one of my friend's birthday. and i took you here because you could afford to loosen up a bit, areum-ah~" he sang and she scrunched her face up, hitting him in the shoulder. "no, but i really just wanted to take you out. i have to lie to get you to come out and have fun with me."

"i just..." she hesitated, her eyes flickering over everyone. she just didn't understand the point. people coming to drink away their worries or to get close to some stranger for the night, only to not remember their name in the morning. it wasn't her scene and if it wasn't for jin, she'd honestly rather be at home pigging out on some ice cream while watching some cheesy romantic drama. she made another face before glancing back at jin. "it's just too crowded for me." she mumbled, bringing her drink to her lips and swallowing the harsh liquid.

jin just shook his head before swallowing his own drink. she never really understood why jin continued to hang around her. jin was everything she wasn't. he came from a wealthy family (as well as smart) and incredibly handsome. he was perfect and yet he remained friends with someone like her. when she asked him why one night, when they were studying in her small apartment, he just smiled and said, "it's because you're special, areum. you treat me like just jin, not _kim seokjin_."

he says that, but she doesn't think he'll ever know how thankful she is to have him in her life. if it wasn't for him, she probably would have already been long gone and back home by now. she was never one to keep her mouth shut when she saw someone being bullied and that would definitely get her in trouble here, but now she had jin backing her up. it almost seemed like people were too scared to go against him. "areum?" she glanced at him and smiled.

"hm?"

"want to dance?" 

her eyes went wide, shaking her head as he stood up. "n-no way!" she exclaimed, pushing his outstretched hands away from her. "you know i don't dance and certainly not in front of so many people!" she stated firmly, swallowing another harsh drink quickly. he frowned, before reaching out and gripping her hands.

"we're dancing!" he stated and pulled her out of her seat, pulling her to the dance floor. she felt her cheeks heat up as everyone's eyes fell onto her.

"ji-jin!" she yelled, slapping his back, trying to pull her hands away from his. "i really, really, really-" she stopped as he whirled around, his arms wrapping around her waist and jerking her forward. she felt her breath hitch in her throat as he firmly pushed her body against his, a sly smirk pulling on the corners of his lips. "jin!"

"one dance." he hummed, leaning in close to her ear. she shivered as his hands ran down her back, stilling on the small of her back. "hm, please?" he begged and she closed her eyes at the feel of his lips brushing her ear. no matter how long she knew kim seokjin, she could never get used to his need to always be so close or touching her. at times, she thought he was playing with her, teasing her for being so sensitive and shy... but sometimes she saw this serious glint in his eyes and it made her heart beat fast.

"jin..." she mumbled, opening her eyes to see him looking at her already. she let out a shaky breath, before lifting her arms and clasping her hands behind his neck. "fine. one dance, o-okay? just one!" she told him and that sly smirk quickly turned into a triumphant grin as he squeezed her sides.

it was embarrassing at first. she doesn't dance - like she's really bad at it - that it's almost funny, and she certainly doesn't dance so closely... so intimate. so, she simply let jin lead her. his large hands on her sides, slowly helped her sway back and forth, and eventually she got lost in the music. "thatta girl." jin whispered and she giggled and decided to be a little bolder, by pressing closer to him. she says "bolder" but she could really only be this way with jin.

it was okay to let go once in awhile though, right?

[taehyung]

"who is jin-hyung dancing with?" he asked as he continued to watch the pair dancing so closely. the only reason she had caught his interest is because hyung really wasn't one to be so close to just any girl... and this one, she was a beauty. he took in her slender figure and the way her light locks of hair fell over her shoulders. he noticed jin lean in and whisper something in her ear and her lips instantly tugged up into a dazzling smile. he felt his heart squeeze and quickly broke his gaze from her suddenly feeling too hot and crowded in the club.

"that's hyung's areum. you know the scholarship girl?" jimin replied, his eyes following to where taehyung's gaze was seconds ago. "he's basically the only one she'll talk to! don't even try anything with her. jin will be mad and a girl like her won't even give you a chance. she's too good for you!"

"oh?" taehyung smirked and looked back up to find her looking at him. their eyes locked for a second, he doesn't think he could breathe. he had no idea why some random girl was making him so hot and bothered. "want to make a bet?" jimin grinned and jumped next to taehyung excitedly.

"200 bucks that you won't even get her number."

"500 bucks that i'll have her falling in love with me."

"fine, two months. 500 bucks if she tells you that she loves you by the end of two months." jimin agreed, and taehyung smirked, lifting his hand up. he mimicked a gun and pointed it in areum's direction. she froze, her eyes never leaving his.

"bang!"


	3. Chapter 3

"that's kim taehyung." jin replied cautiously as they sat down at their usual lunch spot. "don't bother with him. he isn't really good news." he continued when he noticed areum's eyes locked on taehyung from across the cafeteria. "areum-ah... i mean it. he's not the type of guy you want to... get close to." she looked back at jin with a frown.

"why not?"

"what does it matter? why are you suddenly asking about him? you don't even know him." jin sassed back, a flash of anger in his eyes. areum rose an eyebrow as if to question it and he just sighed. "just drop it."

"well then." she snapped, turning her attention to her tray of food. she heard him sigh next to her but she ignored him, her mind still on that night she found kim taehyung looking at her. it was only for a moment, but it left her confused. why had he been looking at her in the first place? was it because she was dancing with jin? and what in the world was that hand motion? "bang?"

"bang!" she jumped at the sudden voice and slamming of a tray against their table. both jin and areum looked up to see the very boy they had been chatting about seconds ago, sitting down in front of them. she felt her face heat up as his eyes landed on her, a little smirk tugging at his lips.

"what are you doing, v?" jin asked annoyed, pushing his tray away from him, looking as if taehyung had made his food taste gross. taehyung looked at areum a moment longer, before glancing over at the boy beside her.

"i wanted you to introduce me to your lady friend!" taehyung exclaimed and it almost seemed like he was just a cheery, innocent boy... if it wasn't for that sneaky smile he wore or the way everyone got quiet when he sat down, suddenly causing the air around him to tense. his brown eyes darted back to areum and she felt her heart beat a little faster at the way his eyes looked her up and down. 'how mean of you, hyung, to be keeping such a pretty girl to yourself." he directed the words at jin, but his eyes still never left her. she shuddered at the intensity of his gaze and she quickly looked down, suddenly feeling nervous.

"well, i stopped introducing the girls in my life to you a long time ago for a reason." jin muttered before grabbing areum's arm and pulling her to her feet, as he stood. she glanced up at him, confused. it was strange how quickly his mood changed when taehyung was involved. "let's go."

"yah, sit down." taehyung's voice was suddenly lower and they both looked back at him. "i said introduce me." the two boys were suddenly having a very intense stare down and if it wasn't for jin's tight grip on areum's arm, she would have demanded what the problem was with introducing herself. she really wasn't too keen on starting a fight in the cafeteria as everyone looked on.

"o-oh, jin-oppa!" she exclaimed, nervously putting a hand on his arm. "i forgot! i had to go talk to the teacher about the paper that's due next week. will you come with me?" she asked quickly, very aware of both jin's and taehyung's eyes on her now. jin gave her a strained smile and dropped her arm before grabbing both of their trays. 

"let's go."

areum nodded and grabbed her bag, throwing one last glance at taehyung. she hesitated, wondering if she should tell him her name, but the way he looked at her, had her second guessing exactly who this guy was. he definitely gave her the vibe that he was more than he looked. "we-well, nice meeting you." she mumbled quietly before she hurried after jin. "oppa, wait for me!" she caught up to him and wrapped her arm around his. he barely glanced at her as they headed out of the cafeteria.

"you really don't listen well."

"what?! i didn't call him over, he just sat down."

"just... can you not talk to him anymore? as a favor to your favorite oppa?" he begged, his eyes locking with hers. she sighed and pressed closer to jin, remembering taehyung's eyes. they were different than the other rich snobs that went to this school, but they were also different than jin's. they were so cold and at the same time, so lost and sad. it made her feel confused and she wondered who exactly is kim taehyung. "areum." she looked up at jin and smiled, before giving a short nod.

"only because you're my favorite oppa~"


	4. Chapter 4

"are you two dating?"

surprised, areum's head snaps up from her book to see kim taehyung standing in front of her desk, his hands lazily stuffed in his pockets. she glanced around to see her classmates with narrowed eyes filled with suspicion and hate. her eyes darted back to taehyung before she sighed and shut her book. "is who dating who?"

"you and hyung."

"no, not that it's any of your business." areum snapped, glaring up at him. he chuckled under his breath before turning and grabbing a chair. he slid it across the floor, slamming it down in front of her desk, before settling down in front of her. "is there something you need from me?"

"well, jin didn't want to introduce me, so i thought i'd come to you personally. hi, i'm kim taehyung." he stated, his eyes never leaving hers as he held his hand out for her to shake. she ignored it and tried to remain passive as she locked eyes with him.

"jin told me not to talk to you." she returned and tilted her head. "why?"

"i don't know. maybe he doesn't want to share?" he scrunched his face up and dropped his hand to rest on the desk. "he might look like a nice guy, but he's pretty obsessive when it comes to his girl."

"or maybe you're the bad guy?"

"bad guy?" taehyung laughed, leaning over areum's desk, resting his head in his hand. his eyes watched her, as if he was taking every little thing about her in. "what makes me the bad guy?" he asked and her breath hitched in her throat. he was looking at her the way he did that night at the club. it was almost as if his eyes were eating her up and it made her both excited and frightened at the same time. she took a deep breath, clutching her book tightly in her hands.

"why don't you tell me?"

taehyung quirked an eyebrow up and she could tell he was enjoying this way too much by the way his lips tugged up into a smirk. "do you want to find out if i'm the bad guy?" he answered her question with his own. for a moment, the two of them simply stared at each other, wondering who would back down from this unspoken challenge. she wondered why she was so attracted to him. maybe it was how mysterious he was or maybe it was because he _was_ the bad guy. she had no clue, but she couldn't deny how she was being pulled in by him. she had to remember jin's warning though. he had never been so serious about something and she had to believe whatever reason jin wanted her to stay away from kim taehyung... it was for a good reason.

"not really." areum finally replied and he watched her as she gathered her stuff and stood from her chair. "you know, i don't know why you approached me, but i'm not like every other girl that is easily fooled by charm and good looks." she slung her backpack over her shoulder and smiled at him as he stood from his chair, his eyes narrowed. "jin obviously has reasons for telling me not to be involved with you and i trust jin over everyone, so if you'll excuse me." she continued and stepped around him. she didn't make her escape quick enough because she was suddenly being whirled around and jerked forward. areum gasped, her face slamming into taehyung's chest. she glanced up at him, her face heating up at how close he is. his eyes were darker than before and it made her heart pick up its pace just a bit. his hand tightened its grip around her wrist and then he was smiling.

"do you want me to tell you why jin said to stay away?" he asked, his voice low in a whisper. areum swallowed nervously, her eyes darting around the classroom to avoid taehyung's intense stare. everyone was staring, their whispers echoing through the classroom.

"l-let go." she muttered, her eyes dropping to the floor to stare at her shoes. it was getting hard to breathe and she really wanted jin to walk in and save her.

"yah, i'm talking to you." taehyung continued reaching up to grip her chin. he tilted her head up, forcing her to look at him. she shuddered, because kim taehyung might be different than the other kids, but he was frightening. everyone in this school was cruel, but oh... the way taehyung was looking at her made her want to run away and never come back to this school again. "i really hate it when people don't listen." he was worse than the bullies. so self-entitled and selfish. he was self-centered, spoiled, and mean. areum scolded herself for even taking the slightest bit of interest in him. 

areum held her head up and even though her voice wavered, she made sure to get her point across. "what makes you so important, kim taehyung? i don't have to listen to you and i won't. now, if you don't let me go, i'll-"

"you'll what?" 

"i'll have to step in." another voice interrupted and areum was pulled out of taehyung's grip and pressed against jin's chest. "i'll warn you only once, v. but stay away from areum. next time, i won't be so nice about it." taehyung laughed, sticking his hands back into his pockets once more.

"is she yours then? she said you two weren't dating."

"yeah, she's my girlfriend. as of now." areum gasped, along with the class and looked up at jin. she clutched his arm, tugging on it lightly. 

"yah, jin-"

"so, keep your hands off of her." areum glanced back at taehyung and his eyes were on her again. he smiled at her and she involuntarily stepped back into jin.

"am i the bad guy or is your oppa?"


	5. Chapter 5

"i think it's about time you tell me what in the world is up with you and taehyung." areum demanded, pulling out of jin's grip when they were outside the school. "this is ridiculous. not only did you lie about me being your girlfriend, which was really stupid by the way, thanks. you also won't tell me what the heck your problem with kim taehyung is. i honestly..." she took a deep breath, stomping her foot against the sidewalk like a child. "you rich people are so freaking self-involved, always pulling in innocent bystanders in your stupid feuds or whatever your issues are." she continued to rant on, as jin just watched, letting her get everything off her chest. "and i mean, i love you seokjin, but this is really frustrating! everyone is going to hate ten times more because i'm now your 'girlfriend' and for some freaking reason taehyung has taken an interest in me!" she finished, her breathing heavy and she closed her eyes, trying to calm herself.

"are you done?" jin asked calmly and areum opened her eyes, looking up at him. he was smiling down at her, an eyebrow raised as if he was amused with her snapping. she scowled at him and turned her head away from him. sometimes she couldn't even handle her best friend. "come on, areum... don't ignore me." he continued and when she didn't look at him, he took a step to stand in front of her. he reached his hands out, squishing her face in them. he tilted her head up, their eyes locking. "do you want to talk or not? if you're going to ignore me, i won't tell you." he told her, his bottom lip stuck out in a pout.

"let go!" areum huffed, hitting his chest a couple of times, but he just laughed at her struggling. "kim seokjin!" she exclaimed, looking up at him with narrowed eyes. "you're really annoying you know that?"

"you love me."

"sometimes i wonder why."

he dropped his hands and stuck them into his pockets. "v and i used to be super close, but we've had a lot of problems too."

"like what?" areum asked, raising an eyebrow, suddenly very curious to know why jin was so bent on keeping her away from his friend. "i mean, if you're friends, why do you not trust him with me?"

"he's someone that plays around with girls like you, areum."

"girls like me?" she asked, her heart clenching, because even though they shouldn't have... the words hurt her. she thought she was pretty normal compared to the girls that went here. she wasn't as rich or maybe as beautiful as them, but she prided herself in at least being a good person. "what type of girl am i?"

"a good girl. you're smart, beautiful, and you have a good head on your shoulders. he likes to mess with girls like that." jin's voice was more serious, as he took a step toward her. she instinctively countered the step, but her eyes never left his. "he likes to dirty girls like you, break them. he has fun doing it and he'll toss you away without even a second thought. do you understand?" areum frowned, flinching as his hands came down to grip her shoulders tightly. "areum." he demanded and she only nodded her head.

"i got it, but oppa..."

"what?"

"why are you taking it so personally?" she asked and he froze. he squeezed her shoulders and she tried not to voice how it hurt. "if i get hurt by kim taehyung, it's my fault. we're not actually dating. why are you so quick to keep me away?"

"you're my best friend." he replied simply, but there was something else. areum could tell by his eyes and of course, she knew her best friend and he was definitely keeping something from her. she knew they were obligated to tell each other every little detail of their lives, but it pained her a bit that he wouldn't trust her with the truth. why did he feel the need to keep it from her? was she not a good enough best friend?

"is that it?" he sighed, his hands leaving her shoulders and dropping to his sides.

"yeah, so will you drop it now?" he snapped and she glared at him. she took a deep breath, clenching her hands into fists.

"if you don't want to tell me everything, whatever, but i'm not keen on being friends with people that can keep secrets and lie to my face." areum told him, suddenly so sick of how everyone in this school treated others. lies, betrayal, bullying, secrets. this was all the school was and she hated it. "if you don't tell me, maybe i'll just go to taehyung. he said he'd tell me."

"can you not do this? can you just listen to me for once, areum?" he growled, and she could tell by the way he was tapping his foot, that he was getting angry with her. "seriously, drop it." she glared at him and after a second, finally nodded.

"fine, i'm going home. you don't have to walk me." areum told him, venom practically dripping from her voice. "and don't even think about following me." she snapped, as she turned on her heels, and hurried out of the school yard.

"areum!" he called from behind her and she bit her lip and continued walking away, ignoring his calls.

"you know, you guys fight an awful lot for being a couple." a voice called as she rounded the corner, out of jin's sight. areum gasped, putting a hand to her chest as she locked eyes with taehyung.

"oh my god..." she breathed, reaching out and hitting his shoulder. "can you not?! and we are not dating. i have no idea why he thought that was an okay thing to state in front of everyone!" she huffed and he smirked.

"need a ride?" he asked, ignoring her previous words.

"from you?" she asked back and he rose an eyebrow. she quickly shook her head, gripping her backpack. "no thank you." areum told him firmly and stepped around him to continue down the road.

"come on. i'll let you in on a secret~" he teased and she froze in her steps. she glanced back at him and cursed herself internally for getting so excited about the way this boy looked at her. his eyes were doing it again. they were always doing it... looking her up and down as if she was the most interesting creature he's ever seen. it made her forget about his cold, emotionless eyes, that she had witnessed back in the classroom.

"secret?" areum asked, turning a little bit to face him. he smiled triumphantly and took a few steps closer to her, until her back hit the school fence. she felt her heart stop, as she glanced up at him.

"about how jin and i seem to have the same taste in women."

"what does that have to do with anything?"

"oh, it has everything to do with it~"


	6. Chapter 6

areum's mind had suddenly went blank, because every possibility of what taehyung's words could mean was rushing through her head. what did having the same taste in women have to do with anything? did taehyung steal away jin's past girlfriends? did they fight? her heart picked up its pace a little when she felt taehyung's fingers slide along her cheek to her neck. "should i tell you? do you want to know?" areum swallowed nervously, but still was unable to look away from him. the way his eyes seriously gazed down at her made her hands tremble and her knees go weak.

"i-i, um..." areum stumbled with her words, her face heating up as she tried to regain her composure to think properly. he laughed then, clearly having fun with the way she was suffering. she glared up at him, but his next words made her freeze all over again.

"what will you do if jin-hyung is the bad guy of the story?"

areum's first thought was that there was no way kim seokjin was a bad guy of any story. there was no way. he was too kind, always with a smile on his lips, but then she thought about how angry he'd get about staying away from taehyung. it made her wonder if he was trying to keep something from her.

"will you run to me?"

areum glanced up at taehyung and shook her head, clearing her doubtful thoughts about her best friend. "aish, really..." she muttered, pushing him away from her and quickly stepping around him so that her back was no longer facing the school fence. "listen here, kim taehyung!" she shouted, gripping her backpack tightly. "i trust jin. i trust him even when he's keeping secrets and when he's lying. i'll trust him no matter what and i certainly trust him more than..." areum's eyes looked him up and down, stopping to meet his eyes. "c-certainly more than a guy like you." she finished and watched as his eyes seemed to get darker at her words. suddenly nervous again, she cautiously took a few more steps away from him for good measure. "i don't know... i don't know why you suddenly decided to come into my life to cause trouble, but..." areum felt her breath get caught in her throat once more as he took steps towards her. "but, stay away from me." she muttered the last words and they weren't as convincing as they were when she said them in her head.

"stay away?" he asked and then laughed, stopping only a few steps away from her. "seriously, you're something else..." he continued and god did she want to run away at that moment... his eyes. oh, his eyes filled with something she's never seen before by a spoiled, rich kid like him. his eyes looked so sad at that moment and her chest was hurting. "what's so good about seokjin, anyways?" and areum doesn't know why, but those words made her heart hurt even more than the way he was looking at her.

"ya-yah, stop looking at me like th-that..." areum forced the words out, her eyes now looking at anything, everything that wasn't the mysterious kim taehyung. his hand reached out and grabbed ahold of hers. "tae-" his fingers laced with hers and he jerked her forward. she looked up at him and let out a shaky sigh. how could she get so easily fooled by this boy?

"look at you how?" he asked suddenly, her face growing hotter.

"don't look at me with sad eyes, because then... then i'll start to think you're different than everyone else." areum's eyes locked with his and she felt herself get a little bolder. "i'll think you're not as cold and emotionless. and i don't want to know if you are or not." she squeezed his hand in hers tightly, before pulling away. "i won't get caught by you kim taehyung." and with those words, areum turned away and quickly started down the sidewalk, trying to get away from him as fast as possible.

"what if seokjin is the bad guy in the story, though?" he called after her, but she refused to look back and continued her escape down the street, until she swerved around a corner, so she was out of sight of both the school and taehyung. areum stopped, pressing a hand to her chest, trying to catch her breath. she closed her eyes, feeling a little lightheaded. gosh, why was this happening? what kind of stupid drama did she get herself into?

"but-" areum opened her eyes, leaning her head back, to look up at the clear, blue sky. "what if oppa _is_ the bad guy?"


	7. Chapter 7

"can we have a moment?" areum knew the moment she stepped into school she would regret it. she should have just stayed home, because now she was being surrounded by three girls, and by the looks on their faces, they weren't here to become her friends. the leader, who she knows as suzy, smiled at her and she could basically feel how forced it was.

"i'm late for class. can it wait till lunch?" areum asked, with a bored expression, because she already knew where this was going. "i'm really late." she mumbled again, as she saw the halls begin to empty. "excuse me." she continued, trying to push past the three girls, only suzy reached out, gripping areum's wrist, her pretty manicured fingers digging into areum's skin. areum winced, glancing back at suzy. 

"i want to talk to you, _now_." 

"yeah, well i'm not really inclined to do what you want. so, let go." areum snapped back, getting a little annoyed. she jerked her wrist out of suzy's grip, and narrowed her eyes. "listen, if this is about jin and taehyung, then leave me alone. not only is it not any of your business, but i'm not even really involved with either, except that jin is my best friend." she told suzy calmly and smiled at them, watching as suzy clenched her fists together at her sides.

"you really need to learn your place!" suzy growled, and before areum knew it, she was being slammed against the lockers roughly. "a girl like you clinging to a guy like seokjin-ah. you don't even really belong in this school, a piece of trash like you..." she muttered through her clenched teeth and areum winced as suzy continued to dig her nails into the skin of her arm. "i should teach you a lesson." suzy continued, reaching her hand up to areum's cheek, before roughly scratching it with her nails.

"yah-!" areum really wasn't one to take the bullying, especially by some prissy girls that don't know how to do anything but ogle over some boys that they don't even know. "seriously..." she muttered, pushing suzy away from her. areum hadn't really meant to send suzy falling to the floor but it was all the same as long as suzy was off of her. "i'm not scared of you, okay? i won't let you just push me around, so leave me alone." areum huffed, before she took off down the hall, ignoring suzy's yells, telling her that she was going to regret that later. she probably was, but she could honestly care less right now. she just wanted to get away.

areum rushed past her classroom, and headed straight to the nurse's office, hoping that no one would be there. she stepped in, closing the door, before letting a small breath out that she hadn't realized she was holding. she dropped herself to the ground, before going over to one of the empty beds and falling back to it. seriously, girls bullying over some boys that won't even give them the time of day. pathetic. she rolled around the white blankets burying her face into the pillows, letting out a small sigh.

areum didn't mean to let the tears out, but she couldn't stop them. she clutched at the pillow as she sobbed into it. she really hated this school and she hated the people. everyone was cold, so pointlessly mean. and she thought she could handle it here, but even her best friend won't tell her everything and now she's being sucked into this huge thing. she doesn't even know what the thing is! she reached her hand into her pocket for her phone, quickly dialing her brother's number before pressing it to her ear.

it rang a couple of times before a voice sounded on the other end. "hello? areum?" she smiled and sniffled at the sound of her brother's voice.

"t-taeyong?"

"areum, what's wrong? are you crying? why? did someone hurt you? are they being mean to you again?" he rushed out a dozen of questions and areum giggled slightly, before feeling the tears fill her eyes again.

"i just miss you, oppa." she mutters into the phone, squeezing the pillow to her body.

"did that boy, kim seokjin, do something?"

"no, i mean, not really. i just thought seokjin was different, but he's just like the others... keeping secrets and telling people what to do." she whispered, closing her eyes. "can't i come home, oppa?"

"areum..." his voice was softer and she could hear him sigh. she could tell that he always got troubled when she asked him that. she knew he only wanted her to have the best. he wanted her to do well in things she liked and he wanted her to grow up to achieve her dreams. he's always been like this... taking care of her before himself.

"i'm kidding, i'm kidding. i really love it here. i'm just having a fight with jin-oppa. i'll be fine, i just wanted to hear your voice, taeyong." areum quickly lied, so he wouldn't have to feel so worried. he let out a small breath as if he knew she was lying, but hummed into the phone.

"alright..." he told her, and after a moment of hesitation, "seriously, areum, if you really do decide you hate it there... i'll come get you. i just want you to be happy, okay?"

"mhm." areum bit her lip, as more tears tumble over. "bye, oppa."

"love you, sis." he mumbled into the phone before it ended. areum sighed, letting the phone fall to the bed. oh, how she misses her brother. she misses her little hometown and the way everyone was kind. she misses the smiles and the "hellos" that everyone would yell as she walked to school.

"you're bleeding." the sound of someone's voice from behind brought areum out of her thoughts. she looked over her shoulder to see taehyung sprawled out on the bed next to hers. he pointed to his cheek as she quickly wiped away the tears streaming down her face. "your cheek. did someone scratch you?" he asked as he pulled himself out of the bed and walked over to one of the cabinets. areum didn't answer and watched him as he rummaged around the cabinet for a couple of seconds before coming back over to the beds. she looked up at him, as he stared down at her for a moment. he was showing her those eyes again.

"wh-what?" areum finally spoke and he shook his head, sitting down next to her. surprised, she pushed herself away, her back pressing against the headboard of the bed. "what are you doing?"

"band-aid." he muttered, scooting closer, not really bothered by her moving away from him. he opened the band-aid and leaned closer to her, his fingers brushing over the scratch on her cheek. "who did it?" he asked and she watched as his eyes darkened, as he cleaned her scratch and pressed the band-aid over it. "hm, who?" his hand remained on her cheek and she bit her lip so hard she could taste blood.

"i-um..." areum stopped as his thumb brushed against her cheek, and she realized she was crying again... and in front of kim taehyung. "taehyung... i-" she just couldn't get the right words to come out and instead found herself crying harder as he pulled her closer to his chest.

"this is the first time i've seen you cry." he muttered, his hands running down her back soothingly. it was weird how his arms were comforting... they felt safe and she found herself reaching up to wrap her hands around his waist, her hands gripping his shirt into tight fists. "it's not a bad sight." he joked with a slight chuckle and she buried her face into his chest, as they fell back to lay on the bed. for a while, taehyung just held her as she sobbed into his chest, before she was all out of tears. they laid there for another moment, quiet and simply in each other's arms. "you're different, huh?" areum looked up at him, raising an eyebrow and he laughed, his eyes locking with hers. his fingers brushed over her face. "your eyes are red and puffy." he mumbled and areum found herself seeing another side of taehyung. his expression was so soft, so kind and it made her heart melt. she closed her eyes as his fingers brushed against her eyes, her nose... her lips. she took a deep breath and opened her eyes, looking up at him. 

"i'm different?" areum finally replied and he smiled. the smile different than the ones she's seen so many times. "how?"

"you're not like everyone else. you're innocent, pure, kind. you cry and laugh when you want. and you get angry without caring about who it is." his fingers brushed down her cheek, to her neck and she shivered slightly, but never broke eye contact with him. "you're sweet, but stubborn." he chuckled, as his hand continued down her shoulder and arm to her hand. his hand gripped hers, lacing their fingers together. "you don't let anyone push you around and even though you're not as rich as anyone in this school, somehow i find you better than them, simply because you don't let anyone tell you how to live your life." he sighed, his eyes sad and she felt her heart clench, painfully. "ah, i want to be like you."

they both went silent again, simply looking at each other. areum smiled and before she could regret it, she reached her hands up, cupping his face. "did you know, kim taehyung?" he quirked his eyebrow, his hands covering hers, as he closed his eyes, nuzzling his face into her hands. "you're different than them too."

"oh?"

"you're so different that it scares me."


	8. Chapter 8

"oh my god." areum whispered as she opened her eyes. she had fallen asleep in the nurse's room, wrapped in taehyung's arms. "oh my god, what time is it?" she continued to mutter to herself, pressing her hands to her hot cheeks. "oh, oh my..." she glanced at taehyung who was still sleeping. she took a deep breath and reached her fingers up to brush along his jaw. he was incredibly handsome and it scared areum how this boy made her feel, how he made her melt into a puddle of goo. she let her fingers trace along his jawline gently, before slipping into his dark brown hair. he stirred a bit, a little groan escaping his lips, before his eyes were fluttering open. "oh...!" she gasped, as she started to pull her hand away. he reached out, gripping it in his own tightly. "i, um, this is... i do-don't..."

"areum..." he mumbled, intertwining his fingers with hers, before bringing her hand to his lips. he placed a soft kiss to her knuckles, his eyes locking with hers. "i thought you'd escape." she felt her breath hitch in her throat, unable to look away.

"es-escape?"

"don't you think i'm the bad guy?" areum narrowed her eyes, trying to think about how she should answer the question. really, what did she think of taehyung? he placed a few more kisses against her hand and she shuddered, her eyes closing.

"i d-don't know any-anymore..." she whispered, as he jerked her forward, wrapping his arms around her waist. "what-"

"you don't know?" he asked, his lips brushing against her neck. she gripped his shirt, clutching it in her hands. "then, do you think i could be the good one?" he started placing kisses down her neck and she tightened her grip on his shirt.

"ta-taehyung..." areum gasped, as he bit down lightly on her shoulder, before pulling away. she looked at him with wide eyes, before hitting his shoulder. "wh-what do you think you're doing?!" she exclaimed, pulling away from him. she felt her body grow hot, as she squirmed out of his grip and jumped out of the bed. "you're really..." she shook her head, glaring at him while he just smirked at her. "you're definitely the bad guy." she muttered, before gathering her stuff. "i'm leaving."

"hey." his voice stopped her, her hand gripping the doorknob tightly. "you should know that..." he paused and she glanced back at him. "jin isn't as innocent as he seems. he's the type to be sneaky and manipulative to get what he wants. i mean..." he cleared his throat, and she swore she saw his cheeks turn red. "i'm not any better, but you should know there is always two sides of a story... just when it comes to it..." his dark brown eyes locked with hers, and he smiled a little. "i hope you won't hate me."

areum watched him for a minute, before glancing at the clock. school would be out in another twenty minutes, and she wasn't too keen on seeing anyone for the rest of the day. she looked back at taehyung and sighed. "i can't believe i'm doing this." she muttered before walking over to him. she held her hand out. "take me home." she told him as she looked at the ground. whether kim taehyung was the bad guy or not was a whole different story. but right now... she couldn't keep away from him.

she wanted to know more about him and she wanted to know why him and jin were always at each other's throats. what happened in the past and who hurt each other more? did taehyung hurt jin? or is... is her best friend not as he seems?

areum felt taehyung grab a hold of her hand and jerked her forward. she squealed as she fell forward, only to be caught by his arms. he smirked down at her and she saw a mischievous glint in his eyes. "let's go."

she just had to remember that kim taehyung was still, well, kim taehyung.


	9. Chapter 9

areum really wasn't in her right mind, because now she was sitting across from taehyung in her living room, nervously glancing around. "u-um, you know, maybe this is-"

"a couple years back, i had this girlfriend. it's how this whole thing started and really it was more that the girl was just playing us. she's probably the main reason jin-hyung and i are always going at each other." he said before she could finish telling him that he should leave. his dark eyes locked with her light ones, and her mouth shut, unable to tell him to leave, since he was now telling her everything she wanted to know.

"what was her name?" 

"suzy." areum's eyes went wide at the name, her hand touching her cheek lightly. that must be why suzy was so angry about seokjin. and, for a second, she wondered if taehyung had set the whole thing up, but when she looked over at him, he hadn't noticed her surprised expression. "she was my girlfriend, but one day, i saw her crying in jin's arms. she hadn't really broken up with me, but she started hanging out with jin more... holding hands, kissing, looking at each other like they loved each other so much." areum watched as taehyung clenched his hands into fists. "but, suzy would always find me in empty classrooms, or at the stairs when everyone was at lunch, just to..." his eyes flickered to meet hers and he looked nervous. it was the first time she's ever seen him like this. "just to make out or... whatever." 

"did you...?"

"why wouldn't i? somehow, i felt like i was getting back at jin for taking her from me and one time he caught us. suzy put on this face, and started crying, telling jin that she hadn't meant it, and she only loved him. he obviously didn't believe her or he'd still be with her." taehyung continued, his eyes leaving hers and looking at the floor. "however, since then, there's always been this unspoken game... challenge to see who can win a girl over first. every time i had a girlfriend or a girl i showed interest in, they always ended up in jin's hands. never for long though, because he was only ever trying to get back at me for suzy."

areum took a deep breath, her heart pounding and she honestly didn't know why. was it because there was a girl that jin cared about more than her that had hurt him? was she jealous of suzy because she had jin once or because she had... taehyung? "jin... he said you liked girls like me." areum finally spoke, and his laughter suddenly filled her ears. she looked up at him with wide eyes, shocked at the sudden change. he was smiling at her, his eyes squinted in the shapes of cute little crescent moons. she's never seen kim taehyung as handsome as this.

"and what type of girl are you?"

areum made a face and thought back to jin's words. "innocent and pure, is what he said. a girl that makes you want to break and dirty them." she swallowed nervously and hesitantly locked eyes with taehyung. "isn't that why you're here? i'm close to jin and you want to take everything he has as much as he takes from you?" he didn't answer and simply watched her, his smile fading. "aren't both of you the bad guys, then?" he had stood up at her question and suddenly he was sitting next to her. his face was so close to hers, his nose brushing her own. she gasped as he leaned forward, putting an arm on either side of her, boxing her against the couch and his body.

"that's right. i do... i do want to dirty and break you. i want to mark your pretty, clear skin to show jin you like me. that i got the girl." taehyung started, his voice low and dark. "but, you're different than the others." areum held her breath as he got closer, his face nuzzling into the crook of her neck. "i want to keep you. i don't want to let jin steal you away." he murmured against her skin and she shivered, as his arms wrapped around her waist.

"th-that's it?" she asked and she felt like she was almost begging him to tell her because she didn't want to think about how she was just some girl in this stupid games these two boys were playing. and what about jin?

she locked eyes with taehyung and she saw his eyes waver. it wasn't all. what else was he keeping from her? she pushed him away and scowled at him. "li-listen, areum-" she slapped his outstretched hand away and stood up from the couch.

"what else are you hiding from me? why can't any of you people just tell the whole truth?" areum snapped and he let his hand drop to his side. "seriously..." she let out a breath and shook her head, suddenly so angry at taehyung, at suzy... at jin. "you should leave." she finally told him and walked over to the door, swinging it open for him.

"areum." her eyes flickered up to meet his and she smiled at him.

"the truth always comes out eventually, taehyung."  



	10. Chapter 10

for the past week, areum has successfully - not so gracefully - avoided both seokjin and taehyung. she wasn't sure what she'd do once she was caught. it was during lunch when areum had finally got caught. she rushed outside, heading over to her new lunch spot, that kept her hidden from the two boys and suzy. only, when she had gotten there, kim taehyung was there, sitting under her secret tree. his eyes were closed, his hands folded over his chest... if he was sleeping, she could just leave like she hadn't seen him. she took a deep breath and quickly began retreating backwards, when his voice sounded in her ears.

"stop." taehyung demanded, his eyes opening and locking with hers, making her freeze. he let out a sigh, sitting up and waving her over with a finger. areum swallowed nervously, and walked back over, sitting down a good distance away from him. "you know it's been a tiring week chasing after you."

"then, stop chasing." areum snapped back, turning her head away from him, annoyed.

"areum." he said in a low voice and the way he said it, made her look over to him. his eyes were dark and his fists were clenched at his side. "why are you doing this?" he reached over, grabbing her arm, and yanking her over to sit closer to him. areum scowled, pulling her arm away. "isn't this a bit childish?"

"are you really asking?" areum sassed, rolling her eyes. she watched as taehyung's jaw feathered and she shuddered as his expression suddenly turned angry, but she didn't really feel like backing down. she felt like riling him up just for the hell of it. "then, let me ask you the same thing. why are you doing this? what's the reason you keep bothering me? why couldn't you just leave me alone? i was fine with seokjin-oppa, we would still be fine if it wasn't for you. if anyone is being childish here, it's you and seokjin." areum continued as she picked at her sacked lunch, not very hungry anymore. "i don't get it."

"yah!" areum jumped at the raise of his voice and her head snapped up to meet his eyes once more. "you really don't understand, do you?" he asked, her eyes going wide as he leans his face closer to hers.

"d-don't." she mumbled, reaching out to push him back, but he grips her wrist, keeping her from moving. "taehyung, let go."

"i like you, areum." he whispered, his lips so close, that they brushed against hers. areum felt her face heat up and she quickly turned her head away. "look at me." he demands and forcefully pulls her back to look at him. "i like you. i like you." he repeats, and she lets out a shaky breath, as his lips gently press against hers. areum closed her eyes and leans a little more into the kiss, as she feels his arms wrap around her waist. taehyung pulls away from the kiss and pulls her into his lap.

"tae-taehyung!" she exclaimed when he pulls her closer, pressing her body against his. her breath catches in her throat when she sees the way he's looking at her. it's always his eyes that makes her weak. he looks at her like she's so amazing, like he's never seen someone so beautiful, and as shallow as it makes her sound, she loves it. she loves the way he looks at her. his face is so close to hers again and she relaxes in his arms, momentarily forgetting that they were still at school. "taehyung..." areum whispered, just as his lips met hers again. this time the kiss was rougher, less innocent and more passionate. she gasped when she felt his tongue slide across her bottom lip and quickly pushed herself away.

"what? is this your first time kissing like that?" taehyung asked with a smirk and she glared at him, pulling out of his grip and standing up. she opened her mouth to yell at him but another voice came out instead.

"areum!"

she gasped as an arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her backwards. she looked up to see jin and she suddenly felt guilt wash through her. she wasn't dating jin, but for some reason, she just felt sick to her stomach, thinking that jin could have seen that. "you always have a way of showing up at the wrong time, hyung." taehyung sighed, as he got to his feet.

"i told you to keep your hands off of her." jin growled and areum shivered at how angry his voice was. it scared her - just a little bit. she never wanted to be on the receiving end of his anger.

"hyung..." taehyung started, his lips tugging up into a smirk. he was definitely about to cause more trouble. "do you like her?" areum's jaw dropped open and she glanced up at jin nervously. he was already looking at her and she felt her heart stop, because this could not be happening. she shook her head and looked back at taehyung, letting out a small nervous chuckle.

"of course he doesn't. jin is like a big brother." areum patted him on the chest lightly. "right, jin-oppa?" when he didn't answer right away, she glanced back at him. "se-seokjin," she warned, seeing the way he was looking at her. it was different than taehyung's. it was gentler, it felt safer, but he still looked at her like...

"i do. i like her. no-" he locked eyes with taehyung and she could swear the air got colder. "i love her. i loved her for a long time."

he's always had that look. that look like... like she was something more than his best friend, but she ignored it. she was scared to lose her only friendship in this horrible school... as selfish as that is of her. "oh my god." areum muttered, pushing jin's arm off of her. she took a step back from the two boys and held her hands up. "no. no, i don't want anything to do with the two of you." her eyes flickered from taehyung to jin. "i heard about suzy and i will not be involved in this game you two have. i'm sorry, but leave me out of it."

"i'm serious and you know it, areum." jin replied coolly, his expression not even changing at the mention of suzy's name. "you've known it." areum felt her heart drop and she nervously looked away. "and because i feel this way about you, i won't hand you over to taehyung. i told you, didn't i?" she looked over at taehyung who had been quiet for awhile. his eyes locked with hers and she couldn't tell what he was thinking. "he'll ruin you, areum." jin's hand reached out, lightly gripping her chin to force her to look at him. reluctantly, she met his eyes. they were sincere, but there was something cold about them now. something areum wasn't used to seeing from jin.

"and, what about you? aren't you the same? you and taehyung?" areum scowled and slapped his hand away. "you're both pathetic." and before either could say anything she rushed past them and started toward the school without looking back. 

areum knew running away could only last for a little while, but she didn't have the heart to reject jin and... she didn't want to accept any type of feelings she was getting for taehyung.


	11. Chapter 11

"you really don't know your place, do you?" a voice mocked, before slamming a hand down onto areum's desk. she looked up, her eyes locking with suzy's. she sighed, pushing her glasses up, before crossing her arms over her chest. "i won't say this again." suzy continued and areum rose an eyebrow. "stay away from kim seokjin."

"who are you to tell me what to do?" areum asked and she watched as suzy clenched her teeth, her eyes narrowing at her. she quickly reached out, gripping the collar of areum's school uniform jacket. "do you own seokjin-oppa?"

"oppa? yah, don't call him that." suzy growled, yanking areum out of her chair, before grabbing her hair in a tight fist. "i think you need to get on your knees and apologize for pushing me the other day." suzy glanced over her shoulder at her two giggling friends. "right, girls?" they nodded their heads, snickering and areum thinks at that very moment... something snapped in her. "on your knees, you stupid bitch." suzy growls, pushing areum to the ground. she continued to push areum's face to the ground toward her shoes and areum closed her eyes, trying not to listen to the laughs and whispers around her. "she really is stupid. do i have to spell it out for you? say your-"

"yah..." areum breathes out, gripping suzy's wrist and pulling her hand out of her hair before standing up. and before areum could really think or stop herself, she raised her hand and swung. a loud slap echoed through the class and everyone stopped to stare. areum felt tears well up, but she bit her lip, keeping them in. "i would rather die than apologize to someone beneath me." areum spat and suzy's eyes went wide, her face turning red.

"wh-what did you just say?" suzy snapped, before reaching out to push areum back roughly. "beneath you?" she laughed, pushing areum again. "you're funny. if anything..." she continued and smiled at areum, poking her in the shoulder. "you're the one beneath me. beneath us all. what? you're only here on a scholarship. you're a piece of trash that doesn't belong here. just because seokjin is talking to you, doesn't give you the right to be all high and mighty. you're still disgusting."

"oh, she's the disgusting one?" a voice came from behind areum and she jumped as a hand pressed down on her shoulder, pushing her behind their body. her mouth fell open, as she looked up to see taehyung. his hands were stuffed in his pockets lazily, but his expression was dark. she's never seen him so angry. just his gaze made the air cold and tense. "you're one to talk, suzy." he laughed and suzy narrowed her eyes at him.

"wh-what?" suzy crossed her arms over her chest and scowled. "don't get involved. it's none of your business."

"you know what i'm talking about. don't be _stupid_. and, for your information, it is my business." he replied and took a step forward, reaching out to grip suzy's wrist. she gapsed as he pulled her forward and leaned closer so only she and areum could hear the words he said next. "if you ever lay a finger on areum again, i'll destroy you." areum watched as suzy tensed and she shuddered at the way suzy's eyes suddenly filled with fear because kim taehyung didn't lie. he roughly pushed suzy away, before turning to areum. "and you..." areum involuntarily took a step back, still shocked from his cruel words. even if the words were meant to protect her... it scared her how taehyung could easily say those words to another person. he grabbed a hold of her hand and intertwined her fingers with his tightly. "come with me." he finished and then he was rushing past the crowd of kids and out of the classroom.

"ya-yah! kim taehyung, let go!" areum yelled, pulling on her hand. "i don't want to go anywhere with-" her sentence fell short as he stopped and whirled around to face her. he pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes down at her. "what? why do you look so angry at me? what? go ahead, say it, taehyung!" she yelled, finally freeing her hand from his. "what do you have to say to me? suzy has already said it all. do you want to add on? want to make me feel like the fool even more? go for it. words from people like you don't hurt me." she spat, venom dripping from each word.

"god, you're so fucking annoying." he growled, before gripping her shoulder and swinging her around, slamming her back against the lockers. areum gasped, her eyes flying up to meet his. "why do you keep saying things like that to me? 'people like you.' is that how you see me? i've already told you, areum." he took a deep breath, his grip on her shoulders tightening as she winced at the pain it was causing. "i like you. i like you." there was a pause and then he said three more words. "i love you." areum squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, reaching up to try and push him away.

"liar." she replied, clutching his shirt into fists. "liar, kim taehyung." she felt his hands on her face, wiping the tears that she didn't know she had let fall. her eyes opened and she looked up at him, meeting his eyes again. "don't lie to me." areum whispered as his face got closer, his lips brushing against hers. he pressed a hesitant, sweet kiss to her lips and sighed.

"oh god, i love you. i love you so much." he muttered and it sounded like he had just figured it out himself. "i love you." he repeated, peppering kisses all over her face, his thumbs wiping away more escaped tears. "i fucking love you, baby."


	12. Chapter 12

"are you doing okay?" taeyong asked over the phone, his voice sounding tired. areum smiled and pushed herself under the blankets.

"yeah, i'm fine." she replied and she heard him sigh. "really, oppa, i'm okay. i only have another year, anyways. i can hold it out even if i'm not okay." she continued quickly and the two of them went quiet.

"you were never good at lying, areum." he finally says with a short laugh. areum giggled, closing her eyes, missing her brother's laugh and his voice. "one more year and you can do whatever you want." he continued and her smile grows. "you still want to be the greatest actress of korea, right?" he laughed and she joins him.

"yes, yes! and i'm still going to marry ji chang-wook. he won't know what hit him!" areum joked and she felt her heart swell with pride as her brother's laughter grew louder over the phone. "yah, don't laugh. he's your future brother-in-law." she jokingly scowled, just as there was a sudden knock on the door. "sorry, taeyong, i've got to go. someone's at the door."

"you're not inviting boys over, are you? yah, areum, what did i tell you about inviting boys over." taeyong's voice quickly turned back into the overprotective brother voice.

"it's not a boy." areum said as she swung open the door, her eyes flickering up to meet seokjin's. "it really isn't a boy." she lied and her brother grunted on the other end.

"liar." seokjin mouthed, a smile tugging at his lips.

"sorry, oppa. i've got to go." areum quickly said into the phone, before turning it off. she frowned at the boy standing across from her, suddenly nervous as she remembers what had happened a couple of days ago. "what are you doing here, jin?"

"i came to see my best friend. what? am i not allowed to anymore?" jin asked in a joking manner, but there was no smile. he took a step forward and she quickly stuck her arm out, blocking his entrance.

"n-no." she told him, her eyes no longer meeting his. "i don't think that's a good idea." she continued, with a shake of her head. "and you know why, seokjin."

"because i told you i love you?" he questioned and she looked up at him, her face heating up. he said the words almost too innocently, as if he was just teasing her. she made a face and quickly pushed him back, so he was out in the hall.

"go home, seokjin."

"we need to talk. " he replied, sticking his foot out, before she could close the door. areum locked eyes with him and froze. "let's talk... please, areum. we haven't talked in a while and i miss you. i miss my best friend." she bit her lip at his words and gripped the door tightly. "i know i told you i loved you, but... please don't stop being my best friend because of that." she let out a shaky breath before pulling the door open once again.

"fine..." areum muttered, her eyes falling to the floor. "only because i miss my best friend." she continued in a quiet voice. she heard him chuckle and looked up to see him take a step forward. "i missed you, jin." she repeated and then his arms were wrapping around her and pulling her close to his chest. she wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face into his chest. she closed her eyes, smiling into his shirt. she felt his chest rise as he takes a deep breath and pulls away. his eyes lock with hers again and she smiled up at him, taking his hand in hers. "i... i don't really know how i feel about you... or kim taehyung but..." areum hesitated and squeezed his hand tightly. "i know that no matter what you will always be my best friend. you're someone i can't live without, seokjin." he stared back at her and she could basically see the gears grinding in his head. she reached her hand up, brushing his bangs off of his forehead and suddenly found herself wondering what he was thinking about.

seokjin was almost as much of a mystery as taehyung was. only... seokjin was her best friend and he had no problems voicing his thoughts. "do you... do you like taehyung?" he asked finally and she felt her eyes widen, because that was the question she didn't want to answer at the moment. if she openly, with words, said how she felt about kim taehyung... she doesn't think seokjin would remain by her side as her best friend even if he says he would. she also knew as soon as she admitted the feeling she had for taehyung, she would hurt jin and she didn't want to do that to him. she felt him grip her hand tightly and she winced, looking up at him. "do you?"

"let's go inside and talk about this." areum said, avoiding the question. she slipped her hand out of his and closed the door, before walking past him to the kitchen. "do you want some lunch? i can make us some ramen." she talked, ignoring the hard gaze of his, which must have made him angry because suddenly she was swung around and pressed against the kitchen counter. "seokjin!" she exclaimed, her eyes meeting his.

"let me ask you something else then." he growled and she shuddered at how harsh his voice was. seokjin never spoke to her like this and he had never handled her so roughly either. "do i... do i have a chance? have you ever thought about it?" areum took a deep breath, her eyes closing. "and don't lie to me, areum. you were never a good liar."

"yes." she breathed out and opened her eyes as he pressed her against the counter harder. "yes, i've thought about it. how could i not?"

"then, taehyung hasn't won yet."

"won? i'm not something you can win, jin!" areum scowled, hitting his chest with a tight fist. "you two can't just win me like... an award. i'm a person and i have feelings." she continued as she pushed against his chest. he sighed and took her wrists into his hands before lifting her up and placing her on the counter.

"that's not what i meant."

"yes, it is."

"areum." he whispered, and she looked down at him, her hands gripping his shoulders. "i just... i love you... a lot more than that guy and i don't want you to get hurt... because you will. he will hurt you." he said, his eyes never leaving hers. "i can't let him have you."

"you can't give something you've never had." areum told him and her expression softened. "i'm sorry but... i like kim taehyung."


	13. Chapter 13

" _i'm not giving up, because i know he'll end up making you cry. i'll be there, areum... just the way i always am_." 

areum sighed, remembering seokjin's words from last night for the hundredth time this morning. she placed her head on her desk and groaned, burying her face into her arms. maybe she should just go home? just for a few days, take a breather and think about everything. her head was starting to hurt just thinking about everything that has happened in the past few weeks. she wants to go home. "ugh." she groaned again, and pulled out her cellphone. she turned it on and sent a quick message to her brother. it was decided, she was going to go home for a few days to get her head straightened.

_**areum:** i'm coming home... just for a few days, ok? i'm coming 2morrow, oppa._

she sighed and turned her head to the other side. "feeling troubled?" her eyes met a pair of warm, brown eyes that were unfamiliar. the boy smiled, his eyes turning into these little crescent moons and she lifted her head to get a good look at him. his hair was dyed orange, his skin tanned. he was very handsome and unlike every other person she met at this school... he felt warm, warmer than even seokjin. "can i help?" he wiggled his eyebrows and she couldn't help but giggle. who the heck was this guy? "you're taehyung's girl, then." she frowned and rose an eyebrow.

"who are you?"

"park jimin!" he exclaimed, reaching out and taking areum's hand into his. he shook it and smiled at her again. "you're a lot prettier than i remember from the night at the club."

"the club?" areum replied, pulling her hand from his.

"yeah, you were dancing with jin-hyung. taehyung saw you then and-" he stopped himself and shook his head. "i wanted to see what was so special about you." areum scowled and made a face at him.

"oh? are you disappointed? i'm pretty normal." areum told him, narrowing her eyes at him. he grinned then and shook his head. "this is why i hate rich people. they're always playing around and messing with people. it's disgusting." she spat, turning her head away, taking her held back anger out on him.

"whoa, whoa. did i say something wrong?" he asked, his eyes wide and she glanced over at him. she took a deep breath and shook her head. "i was just curious is all."

"i'm sorry. i just... there's just a lot going on in my head." areum told him and smiled. "well, am i what you expected?" she continued as she met his eyes. he smiled again and she felt her heart stop because it was a smile she wasn't used to. it was kind and yet still different than jin's.

"no, you weren't." she frowned, her stomach churning. "you're a lot better."

"oh..." aruem mumbled, her face heating up at his words. "well, you're a lot different than i would have expected. how in the world are you friends with a guy like taehyung?" she asked, shaking her head and this time he frowned.

"he's a lot better of a guy then he lets on."

"is that so?" she smiled, thinking about taehyung. whether she wanted to admit it to him or not... she had grown to like kim taehyung a lot. more than she would have ever thought.

"i'd still be careful though." areum glanced back over at jimin and tilted her head, confused. "he could still hurt you."

"aren't you supposed to say good things about your friends to the girl that they like?" areum chuckled and he smiled at her.

"i speak only the truth."

**―**

"where are you?" jin worriedly asked over the phone and areum sighed, picking up her bag and walking up the stairs to her brother's house.

"it's a secret." 

"areum-"

"areum is here~ little lee!" voices yelled from inside the house and areum smiled, hearing the familiar voices of her brother's friends.

"who was that?" jin asked quickly and areum stopped in front of the door as a couple of the boys took her bags and took them inside.

"listen, jin. i need some time to myself to think about everything. can you leave me alone for a little bit?" she asked and she heard him sigh on the other end. "don't worry about me. i'll be back." she finished and hung up before he could respond.

"areum." she looked up and saw her brother smiling at her in the doorway. she smiled back and ran into his arms.

"i missed you, oppa!"


	14. Chapter 14

**_unknown:_ ** _where'd u run off to?_

areum frowned, looking at the text message from an unknown number. she rose an eyebrow and settled down on the couch. "what's wrong?" jaehyun asked and she shook her head with a smile, as she laid her head in his lap. "you haven't smiled, a real smile, since you've gotten here. is your school really that bad?"

"a little bit." she said truthfully, throwing her legs over over taeyong, who was sitting at the other end of the couch. "how's your plan to become famous idols going?" she asked and taeyong playfully hit her leg. she giggled and glanced back at the text message on her cellphone.

_**areum:** who is this?_

"who are you messaging so seriously?" jaehyun asked, his fingers playing with her hair. areum shrugged her shoulders.

"i don't know."

"you don't know?"

"yeah, they just randomly messaged me. i don't know who it is."

_**unknown:** taehyung_

areum's eyes went wide and sat up, swinging her legs over the couch. "taehyung?" both boys looked at her as she stood up quickly.

"areum-"

"i'm going to my room. see you at dinner." areum mumbled and hurried off to her room. she quickly shut the door and laid down on her bed, staring at the message of taehyung's name.

_**areum:** how'd u get my #?_

**_taehyung:_ ** _y the heck did u give ur number to jimin? when did u guys even talk?_

"oh, that's right." areum mumbled to herself, remembering that jimin and her exchanged numbers before she left and she even told him that she was going to visit her brother for a few days.

_**taehyung:** _ _don't give ur # to other boys_

areum rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help but smile, and she found herself wanting to see him. she wanted to see taehyung and not jin.

_**areum:** _ _what do u want_

**_taehyung:_ ** _can i call u?_

**_areum:_ ** _no_

**_taehyung:_ ** _come back_

_**areum:** _ _if i say no?_

areum rose an eyebrow, waiting for his reply and sighed. "what am i doing?" she asked herself, just as her phone started ringing. her eyes grew wide and she hesitated to even answer it. in the end, she pressed the accept button and pressed her phone against her ear. "hello?"

"you're really annoying, you know that?" taehyung said over the phone and areum made a face as she jumped out of her bed. "are you running away from me?" he continued and she grabbed her coat, before heading out of the house.

"i'm not running away." she replied, stepping out into the cool, autumn night. she took a deep breath and started walking along the street. "i'm just... taking a breather. leave me alone, will you?" she snapped, and she heard him sigh on the other end.

"where are you? i'll come see you."

"no. i didn't even tell seokjin."

"even more of a reason to tell me. come on, tell me." he whined and she stifled a laugh, shaking her head at his childishness. "i miss you."

"i've been gone for a day, taehyung." 

"i still miss you."

she felt her face heat up and her heart pick up its pace. "sweet talker." she muttered into the phone before freezing, her eyes going wide when she caught a figure out on the basketball court. it was a place she was very familiar with because it was where she always was when she was a kid. the basketball court was practically her childhood. but it wasn't really the court that made her stop, but the person with the basketball. "yoongi!" she called out, forgetting momentarily that she was still on the phone. the boy looked up, the ball falling from his hands. "min yoongi! is that you?" she laughed and suddenly she was lifted off the ground and swung around. she flung her arms around his neck, her phone dropping to the ground, being forgotten.

"areum." yoongi breathed out, his face buried in her neck. "i've missed you." he placed her back on the ground, his hands still placed on her hips, his eyes looking her up and down. her smile grew and she stood up on her tippy toes to ruffle his hair.

"you've grown, yoongi~" she hummed and he scrunched his nose, making a face down at her. she laughed, her eyes meeting with his. "are you out here playing by yourself? where's hobi?"

"he is-"

"is that my girl, areum?!" a clear, loud voice echoed through the air and they both turned around to see the very man himself. soon, areum was being tackled and wrapped into another pair of arms. hoseok squeezed her to him and laughed loudly. "i didn't think i would be able to see you sooner than expected." she glanced up at him, her arms wrapped around his neck.

"what do you mean?"

"we're transferring to your school. your brother says you're having a hard time over there and he asked us to consider moving to seoul." yoongi answered and smiled down at her. "my mom moved to seoul back when she left my dad and my grades are good enough to get me in, so we agreed." areum rose an eyebrow at him, before looking over at the grinning hoseok. she bopped his nose and smiled as his eyes brightened.

"and you?"

"you know my parents only sent me to live over here because it's easier for them." hoseok's smile drops a little and areum tightens her arms around his neck. "my family is pretty wealthy so i had no problem transferring. they're pretty happy actually that i want to go to such a prestigious school." she nodded her head thoughtfully and her eyes widened, her mouth dropping open.

"oh, shoot!" she exclaimed, and pulled out of hoseok's arms, before picking up her phone off the ground.

_**taehyung:** i'll get u back for hanging up on me_

"get you back? who the hell is this guy?" yoongi asked, reading over areum's shoulder, and she laughed nervously, not really up to explaining her situation, just yet.

**_taehyung:_ ** _and for calling another guy's name while talking to me_


	15. Chapter 15

"your phone is ringing again." yoongi muttered, eyeing areum's phone laying on the table across from him. areum glanced down at it and sighed before flipping it over. "is there someone bugging you over there? i'll talk to him when we go back to school." areum shook her head quickly, her eyes flying up to meet his.

"no, no. it's not that, it's just..." areum took a deep breath as the two boys across from her stared back, waiting eagerly to hear what she has to say next. "actually, taehyung is the guy that i think i like." she rushed the words out quickly and took a drink of her coffee to hide her nervousness.

"that you _think_ you like?" hoseok scowled at areum's choice of words and shook his head. "if you're still thinking about it, you obviously don't like him that much." areum rose an eyebrow, tilting her head. it wasn't that she was still thinking about it, she just didn't think liking a guy like kim taehyung was a good idea for someone like her.

"what's he like? knowing your taste in men, he's probably got a horrible personality." yoongi continued in a bitter voice. areum narrowed her eyes at him and quirked an eyebrow.

"and, what is that supposed to mean?" she asked, glaring at him from across the table. he just smiled, as if to say, _'y_ _ou don't know?'_

"namjoon." he simply stated and she flinched at the name, before looking down at her drink on the table. "i didn't say it to spite you, it's just you really do have a horrible taste in guys." he reached across the table to grab her hand and she slapped it away. "areum-" her phone rang, cutting off his words and she stood up.

"i'll be right back." she muttered, gripping her phone and hurrying outside, before accepting the call and pressing it to her ear. "listen, taehyung."

"it's jimin."

"oh." she mumbled, a small smile tugging at her lips. "jimin-ssi. i didn't expect a call from you, to be honest."

"w-well, you won't sound so happy about it once i tell you what i did." areum's smile dropped at his words and her stomach started doing little flips.

"you didn't."

"yeah, i accidentally let it slip to taehyung where you were. he skipped class and took the train over." areum groaned into the phone and jimin chuckled. "i'm sorry about it, but you should really talk to him. tell him you feel."

"how i feel? i don't know i feel."

"sure, you do. you like him, don't you?"

"yes, but i don't think that's enough of a reason to be with him. jimin, we're different. i'm different than you and taehyung. i'm not from a wealthy family and the only thing keeping me in that school are my grades." areum told him and shook her head. "taehyung and i would never work out."

"and, why do you get to decide that?" a voice said from behind her and she let out a squeal, her phone dropping from her hands, as she's whirled around to face the owner of the voice. areum's eyes flicker up to meet taehyung's and she felt herself stop breathing for a second, because she forgot how much she really liked this boy.

"ta-taehyung." she whimpered, swallowing nervously, and he smiled down at her, his grip on her arm tightening. "let go." she demanded, pulling at her arm, but he just jerked her toward him more.

"you told jimin where you went? when did you two become such great friends?" he asked, making a face before narrowing his eyes down at her. "you _are_ running away from me." taehyung whispered and she swallowed nervously.

"i told you i'm not!" areum yelled out frustratingly, finally wrenching her arm out of his grip. "i just... i just don't think that me and you work... even if i like you." she told him, her eyes not meeting his anymore. "it won't work, taehyung and i'm going to do what i have to do to protect my heart."

"you won't even try?" his voice was softer and his words made areum's heart hurt. she let out a shaky breath and finally looked up at him. "just give it a try." he murmured, his arms slowly reaching out to wrap around her waist. she shuddered as his hands slid down her back and she closed her eyes as he pressed his forehead against her own. "i love you." he whispered and she sighed when she felt his lips press against her face. taehyung's grip tightened around her when she didn't reply, bringing her body to press tightly against his. "say it. i know you want to." his lips trailed down her face to her jaw and she gripped at his arms, trying to keep her weak knees from giving out from under her.

"i..." areum's eyes opened and she looked up at him. his brown eyes pleaded with her, urging her to tell him how she really felt. her grip on his arms tightened as she said her next words. "i do. i love you too, tae." she breathes out and before she can really regret saying the words out loud, he crashed his lips against hers.

the kiss is sloppy and rough, as if he's been holding back for a while now, and she lets herself melt into it. she sighs into the kiss as his hand slides to the back of her head, pressing her close to deepen the kiss. when they pull away, their breathing is uneven and heavy. and their faces are flushed red. he smirks, his eyes locking with hers and he brushes his nose against hers affectionately, making her face heat up even more.

"i'm going to prove you wrong, baby."


	16. Chapter 16

_**bro 💁‍♂️:** hey, namjoon is in the house_

areum stared down at her phone, gripping it tightly in her hands. what in the world is going on in her life? what did she do in a past life to deserve all this? she sighed, running a hand through her hair. "what's wrong?" yoongi asked and she looked up as he tore his eyes from taehyung, who sat next to her. the two had been going at each other, silently and out loud, since she introduced the three boys.

"your face is pale. it looks like you've seen a ghost." hoseok commented, taking a drink of his fifth coffee this morning, as he scrunched his nose up and scowled at taehyung who was lazily tracing patterns on her hand.

"just a message." areum muttered, her eyes flickering back to her phone.

_**areum:** _ _taeyong y did u let him in?! tell him to leave. i don't want to see him_

"there's a party tomorrow night." yoongi said, changing the topic, to which she's thankful to him for. she smiled up at him and rose an eyebrow.

"oh, yeah?"

"yeah, some of the kids from our junior high wants to see you before you head back to seoul. it's like a goodbye party for us." 

"for us?" taehyung butted in, his eyes narrowing and his grip on areum's hand that he had been holding, tightened.

"these two are transferring." she said, pulling her hand from his, suddenly conscious of the fact that both yoongi and hoseok kept looking at their intertwined fingers. "it'll be nice to have a couple of friends in school." she continued, her eyes flickering nervously back to her phone.

_**bro 💁‍♂️:** _ _he won't leave. jungwoo didn't know who he was and let him in_

**_areum:_ ** _he's so stupid_

**_bro 💁‍♂️:_ ** _u should come home and talk to him_

**_areum:_ ** _ugh, oppppaaaa_

"hey, areum. we have to go, but we'll come pick you up tomorrow at 7." hoseok said, making her look up from her phone. she smiled at the two as they stood up.

"alright." she nodded at them and watched as they left. she let out a sigh and taehyung reached over, tugging at her hand to get her to look at him. "hm?" she barely glanced at him, before looking back at her phone.

**_bro 💁‍♂️:_ ** _areum, he won't get off our couch and jaehyun is getting mad_

**_bro 💁‍♂️:_ ** _jaehyun is turning red... omg will u just come home?_

"who's namjoon?"

areum snapped her head up to meet taehyung's narrowed eyes. "were you reading my messages?" she asked, flipping her phone over in her hands.

"i don't have anywhere to stay."

"what?" 

he smirked at her, his fingers lacing with hers as he leaned a little closer. "take me home, areum." she felt her face heat up and she glared at him before smacking his shoulder.

"don't say stuff like that." areum muttered, her eyes flickering down to stare at their shoes. he tugged at her hand, but she still refused to look up.

"who is namjoon?" he asked again and she sighed, finally looking up to meet his eyes. she gave him a small smile and stood up, pulling him with her.

"i guess you'll find out soon."

_**areum:** _ _i'll b home in a few. i have someone for u to meet_


	17. Chapter 17

"who is this?" taeyong asked, raising an eyebrow, as his eyes settled on taehyung. areum smiled nervously, anxious to see how her brother's reaction would be.

"th-this would be my boyfrined, kim taehyung." areum replied softly and taeyong's eyes went wide, before scanning the boy up and down.

"hello, i'm kim taehyung." taehyung said with a smile and held his hand out. areum watched, slightly shocked at his change, as her brother and him shook hands. "if it isn't too much trouble, would it be okay if i stayed here for a few nights? i came on a whim to see areum and i don't really have any place to stay." he continued and areum's eyes widened at how forward he was being.

"u-um, of course he'll stay in the spare room." taehyung glanced over at areum, their eyes meeting. "by himself." she added and then looked back at her brother with a smile.

"well, whatever." taeyong replied, simply shrugging his shoulders. he was never really too strict when it came to boys, as long as they kept their hands off of her while being in the same house as him. "the ex is in the living room. he's been having a stare down with jaehyun since he's got here." areum's eyes flickered over to taehyung to see his reaction at the word 'ex' and as expected his eyes narrowed when they met hers.

"i'll be right back." areum mumbled to taehyung, her hand squeezing his, before leaving him behind in the kitchen with her brother, as she slips into the living room. areum tried to act like she was unaffected by the sudden appearance of namjoon, but as soon as she saw the back of his pink hair, she froze. memories of their past relationship swarmed her mind and she suddenly didn't feel too good.

jaehyun's eyes were narrowed and locked on the boy as he sat across from namjoon, unmoving. areum cleared her throat and they both looked up at her. jaehyun jumped to his feet, rushing to her side. "he wants to apologize." he mutters through clenched teeth. areum smiled and reached out, squeezing his arm softly.

"alright, you can go. i'll talk to him."

"i'm not leaving you with h-"

"jaehyun, i'm a big girl. i can handle myself." areum sassed and for a few seconds they simply stared at each other, before jaehyun let out a loud sigh.

"fine, but i'm coming back in ten minutes. if he's not gone by then, i'm forcefully kicking him out." he huffed, before giving namjoon one last glare and then disappearing out of the room, leaving just the two of them. areum quietly walked over to the couch, sitting down on the other end of it, keeping a good distance between the two of them.

there was a long, awkward silence before he finally spoke. he glanced over at her, those familiar, heart-wrenching eyes meeting hers. areum felt her breath hitch in her throat because despite what he did to her, some part of her missed him, but only a little bit. "it's been a long time, huh?" he asked awkwardly and she nodded, her eyes flickering away from him, as she simply looked at the wall.

"three years."

"you left without saying anything. we didn't really get a chance to talk." he continued and she felt herself fill with sudden anger.

"there wasn't anything to talk about." she snapped, looking up to meet his gaze. "i had nothing to say to you. i still don't."

"but, i want to explain myself."

"honestly, namjoon, i really don't want to hear it." namjoon watched her for a second before sighing, running his fingers through his pink hair.

"i didn't cheat on you."

"that's not the way i saw it." 

"areum." both their heads shot up at the sound of her name coming from the living room doorway. "this is your ex-boyfriend?"

"who is this?" namjoon asked, a frown tugging at his lips. suddenly really nervous, areum wiped her hands on her jeans and closed her eyes, trying to sort out her thoughts. too much was happening lately. it was too much and she didn't like it.

"taehyung, can you leave? i'm talking with namjoon." she said quietly, her eyes remaining closed. she felt the couch shift and when she finally opened her eyes, she looked over to see taehyung sitting between herself and namjoon.

"i don't really think i want to leave you in a room alone with this guy."

"who says it's your decision?" she retorted and raised an eyebrow.

"you're my girlfriend."

"this guy is your boyfriend?" namjoon interrupted and she let out a frustrated sigh, quickly standing up. namjoon followed suit and reached out, grabbing hold of her hands and then she was being pulled out of the living room and out the front door.

"namjoon, let go!" she yelled, slipping her hand from his and looking up at him. that's when she saw how sad he looked and she wished she hadn't seen it because she really didn't want to feel sorry for him. she let out a shaky breath as he reached out for her hands once more. those big hands - that she used to feel so safe in - wrapped around her own and pulled her gently toward him. "i saw you that day. i saw you with _her_." she muttered, her eyes refusing to look up to meet his. why was everything happening all at once? why was everyone coming back into her life at one convenient time and screwing it up? "we're over. it's been three years. please... just leave me alone."

"areum. i just need you to know that i didn't cheat on you." he rushed the words out, his hands squeezing hers tightly. "i just need you to know that." before she can even open her mouth to reply, she's being jerked backwards, and she lets out a small groan, because this getting pulled and dragged around thing has become a daily routine in her life. she didn't get one day without being manhandled by some boy.

"you shouldn't touch other people's girlfriends." taehyung says calmly, but his tight grip on her arms says he's anything but calm. 

"enough, tae. it's over." areum said, looking up at him, before glancing back at namjoon. "he's said what he wanted to and now he's going to leave, right?" the boy standing across from her hesitates and she can see in his eyes that he has something else to say, but he simply nods.

"thanks for listening. i'll see you around." he says, almost promises it seems like, before stuffing his hands in his pockets and turning his back to them. "he doesn't deserve you." he finishes as he walks off without glancing back. areum watches him for a second before jerking out of taehyung's grip.

"stop grabbing me so roughly." she growled at him, her hand rubbing her arm. "you're always manhandling me." she pouted, looking up at him. he isn't amused, she can tell by the way his jaw is clenched and his eyes are narrowed as he looks at her. "what?" she snaps, turning to go back into the house.

"you're an awfully troublesome girlfriend, you know that?"


	18. Chapter 18

[taehyung]

_**jiminnie 🍡:** u have like two weeks, fyi_

**_taehyung:_ ** _i win jiminnie~ she said it already_

**_jiminnie🍡:_ ** _what? no way, i thought she wasn't going to say it_

**_taehyung:_ ** _wtf r u on my side or not? anyways i win. u owe me 500 :)_

**_jiminnie🍡:_ ** _ya, but with the way u were acting i thought u'd quit the bet_

taehyung looked up at the sound of a quiet knock at his door. he turned off his phone and lazily got off his bed. he walked over to the door and opened it, his eyes meeting areum's. she blushed and squeezed the pillow in her arms to her chest tightly. "...hi." she mumbled, before reaching out to grip the sleeve of his shirt. "want to cuddle?"

"really?" taehyung asked and chuckled at how innocent she was. he felt his stomach churn, suddenly feeling guilty for making her a bet. he didn't lie, but... in the end wouldn't she end up leaving him like everyone else in his life? he was used to being alone and he - as selfish as it was - was going to leave her before she could leave him.

"well, yes or no?" areum sassed and he smiled, grabbing a hold of her hand, pulling her into the room, softly shutting the door behind her.

"who would say no?" taehyung replied, his arms wrapping around her waist from behind as he buried his face into her neck. he loves her but he doesn't want her to realize that she deserves so much more. he doesn't want her to realize she could do better and leave him. "i love you." he mutters as he places small kisses along her neck. he hears her sigh a little and she relaxes into his arms. "no matter what happens, i love you."

"i love you too." areum whispers as they make their way to the bed. soon they're both under the covers and his arms are wrapped around her, their bodies pressed against each other's tightly. he closes his eyes and slowly lifts her shirt, his hands wandering under it.

"i didn't know how popular you were when i fell in love with you." taehyung mutters, his fingers sliding across her soft skin and she lets out a small gasp as they brush along her breasts.

"wh-what do you mean?"

taehyung smiled and pressed kisses down areum's neck and along her shoulder. "seokjin." he muttered, his hands sliding over to massage her breasts gently. her soft, little moans let him know that he can go a little farther and test the boundaries so he carefully let his hands slide down her stomach to the waistband of her shorts. "those two boys you were hanging out with earlier."

"hoseok and yoongi?" areum asked, as if she didn't understand why he had mentioned those two. taehyung growled, his fingers slipping under the waistband of her shorts and she quickly reached out to grip his wrist to stop him from going any further.

"don't say another guy's name while laying in a bed with me." he whined softly and she shivered as his fingers ran along the waistband of her underwear. "now, who else?" taehyung hummed before biting down softly on her shoulder, just hard enough to leave a light mark. "jimin. how, is beyond me." he continued, as her grip on his wrist lightened. "your ex-boyfriend."

"s-stop it." areum murmurs, before lacing her fingers with his hand and slipping it out of her shorts. she brings his arm around her waist and then buries her face into the pillow. "stop saying things like that."

"like what?"

"i only love you." areum states and taehyung finds himself smiling, before pulling her closer and closing his eyes.

"i can deal with that." 


	19. Chapter 19

"ohhh!" areum exclaimed, grinning as she spotted the motorcycles parked out front of the house. "do i get a ride on one?" she asked excitedly, her eyes flickering to hoseok and yoongi. hoseok grinned and threw his arm over her shoulders, ignoring the very obvious, glare he received from taehyung for it.

"that is correct!" hoseok sang happily, leading her over to his motorcycle. he held out a pink helmet and she rose an eyebrow. "i bought it just for you." he mumbled, his cheeks a light shade of red and she chuckled before taking it into her hands.

"thanks, hobi." areum hummed and put the helmet onto her head.

"i don't approve of this." taehyung whined as he made his way over to her. she smiled at him as he lifted his hands to buckle the helmet under her chin. "i also don't really want to ride on the back of yoongi's bike." he continued, listing his complaints and she giggled at his childishness.

"yoongi will take very good care of you. please make sure to hold onto him tightly, okay?" areum teased and let him help her on the back of hoseok's bike.

"hold on tight, areum." hoseok reminded her and she wrapped her arms around his waist, clinging to his back tightly. hoseok glanced up and winked at taehyung before revving his engine. "see you there~" and then they were taking off down the street. she yelled out happily, tightening her grip slightly and pressing her face against his back.

"faster!" areum cheered and she felt his body shake as he laughed and then kicked up his speed. she grinned and being a bit braver loosened her grip so she could lean back and look around as they zigzagged through stopped cars that were stuck in traffic. they took a turn onto a quieter street and she could see a big house come into view with bright lights on. kids were scattered in the front yard, music blaring from the opened door and windows. when they stopped in front of the house, areum let out a content sigh. "you didn't tell me we were going to one of jungkookie's parties." she stated, as hoseok hopped off and held his hand out for her. she took it happily and jumped off the motorcycle.

"he threatened me and told me he'd follow us if i didn't bring you to see him before we left. he wouldn't have a tough time getting a transfer. he's scary even though i'm older than him." hoseok replied and grinned down at her as he helped her take off her helmet. he reached his hands up and patted her hair down, before chuckling under his breath.

"what?" areum pouted, reaching her own hands up to her hair. "is it bad?" he shook his head and she saw his eyes twinkle with happiness. she smiled because she had missed hobi. his cheeriness always seemed to warm her heart and make her smile even when she was upset. "thank you." she told him and before he can question what the words meant, yoongi's own motorcycle pulled up next to them. she watched as taehyung got off and pulled his helmet off. "enjoy the ride?" she asked with a small smirk as she looked up at him, his hair sticking up wildly.

"you know, if i knew you'd enjoy the ride so much, i would have mentioned that my ride was a motorcycle." he stated, his bottom lip stuck out in a pout.

"you ride?"

"yes, i even offered you a ride home one time, remember?" areum nodded, thinking back to the time taehyung had caught her off guard after a fight with jin. she felt her stomach churn at the thought of jin. she had forgotten about him and she was starting to feel that guilt wash back into her... and her heart hurt because despite how they left off she missed her best friend. "let's go." he hummed, either not noticing her discomfort or simply ignoring it. he held his hand out and she took it as they followed hoseok and yoongi inti jungkook's big house. "do you know the guy throwing the party?"

"ah, yeah. he's my junior. a couple years younger than me." areum told him, a small smile tugging at her lips as she remembered fooling around with jungkook when they were younger. he was a happy child with lots of energy who always knew how to have fun. "he's a good kid." she continued as they stepped into the house. more kids were scattered around either dancing, drinking, or mingling and the music was much louder as they made their way into the house. areum smiled and politely said hello back to the people that called out her name. she didn't expect to see so many people that she had gone to school with when she lived here.

"areum!" she heard someone call her name and then she's being pulled out of taehyung's grip and twirled around. she smiles as she's being pulled into someone's chest. "i've missed you, areum." the now taller jungkook was grinning down at her, his arms tight around her waist. "you've gotten prettier, noona!" she blushed at his words and playfully hit his chest.

"and you've gotten better with your words." areum replied back with and they both laughed. "look at you, kookie. getting taller all of a sudden." she playfully teased and he raised his head up, his eyes filling with pride and happiness at the compliment. she giggled and squeezed his arms. "and look at these!" she whistled, shaking her head.

"i know, i know. i bet you wished you took my confessions serious when we were kids." he joked and she smiled up at him. it felt good to see how well he had grown up over the three years she had been gone, but part of her wished she had been there to see the boy's change. maybe if she had tried a little harder to convince her brother that she could do just as fine here as she could in seoul she'd be a little happier. maybe she would be dating a good guy like jungkook.

"excuse me, we haven't met. i'm kim taehyung." areum glanced over to her boyfriend and quietly slid out of jungkook's arms and hooked her arm around taehyung's. "i'm areum's boyfriend."

"boyfriend. right, jimin mentioned something like that." jungkook's eyes narrowed and she rose an eyebrow. suddenly his face was so serious that it made her breath catch in her throat because it was new to her.

"you know jimin?" she questioned and jungkook nodded.

"my older brother goes to your school. he's friends with jimin. actually..." jungkook tore his eyes from taehyung and glanced around the room. "he's around here somewhere. he said he was visiting someone he knew that was here."

"i didn't know he had friends that lived here." areum mumbled, as taehyung wrapped an arm around her waist. she glanced up at him confused, but then she saw a head of orange behind him. "jimin!" she exclaimed and the said boy turned to look over. he grinned when his eyes landed on them.

"just the person i wanted to see." he hummed, making his way over to them. she tilted her head as he took her hand into his. "hello, areum." his eyes locked with hers as he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. she felt her face heat up, suddenly very confused.

"d-do you have friends here, jimin?" she asked nervously, slipping her hand from his and grabbing ahold of taehyung's arm.

"i actually came here to see you and taehyung."


	20. Chapter 20

"i didn't think that taehyung would ever leave your side at all tonight." jimin's voice came from areum's side. she swallowed her harsh drink, the liquid burning her throat, as she glanced over at him and then her boyfriend across the room. she scowled when she saw the girls surrounding him being awfully friendly for only meeting tonight. she quickly looked away and poured herself another shot of liquor, swallowing this one quicker than the last.

"it's whatever." areum muttered finally and sighed, her eyes drooping as the alcohol started to affect her. she could hear herself and how her words started to slur and how her body began to sway. she wasn't completely drunk, but she'd be lying if she said she wasn't starting to feel something.

"areum!" jimin exclaimed and reached out to grip her arm to keep her from tilting off her chair. she smiled up at him and giggled before poking his nose.

"jimin-ah~" areum sang and poured yet another cup. "oh! why are you here?" she asked, tilting her head and she saw his lips tug up into a little smile. "i forgot. oh, but wait, i don't think you even told me yet."

"i came to tell you something important." 

"really? is it a secret?!" she exclaimed childishly and leaned toward jimin. he chuckled and stabled her body safely on the chair, his hand still gently wrapped around her arm.

"careful there." he gently scolded, scrunching up his nose and she for some reason couldn't help but find it adorable. it must have been the alcohol because she suddenly wanted to kiss the orange haired boy across from her. she refrained, mentally scolding herself for thinking of doing that with a boy who wasn't her boyfriend and took another shot. "areum, listen to me." jimin demanded and her eyes shot up to meet his and she felt herself sober up a bit from the serious glint that she saw flash through those warm, brown eyes.

"wh-what?" areum stammered out, her hand clutching at the glass in her hand.

"i wasn't going to tell you and just let what happens... happen. but, i don't really feel like seeing you hurt, so i'm telling you." areum felt her heart pick up its pace at his words. why was he suddenly so serious? "you should know that tae-"

"babe." areum squealed at the sudden intrusion, as an arm wrapped securely around her waist. she struggled to lift her head, her eyes meeting a dark pair of eyes. "you're awfully close to jimin, don't you think?" taehyung asked and she glanced back to jimin, noticing he was right. their knees were touching and he had a hand on her arm, squeezing it gently even now as taehyung appeared. she frowned then and glanced back at her boyfriend.

"so?" she sassed drunkenly and she saw a flash of anger in his eyes but she was too drunk to care and she roughly pulled out of his grip, stumbling to her feet. "what about you?" she asked, her voice raising, causing a few people who remained at the party to glance over to see what the commotion was. "all night..." she started, her chest heaving as she felt tears well up in her eyes.

"noona..." jungkook spoke up, walking past taehyung to reach out for her. she pushed him away, her feet tripping over each other.

"all night i watched you as you let other girls be all over you. i'm your girlfriend!" she exclaimed, as the tears fell over. "how silly of me to think that you'd change! you're the same, you're just like them." areum spat and the room went silent. the only sounds coming from the light music and the heavy breathing on her part. she knew she'd regret the words as soon as they came out, but the alcohol and everything about taehyung right now was getting her so heated.

taehyung sighed and glanced at jungkook who watched her with wide eyes. "listen, is there a room we can use tonight?" he asked suddenly and she felt herself freeze as her eyes opened. "she's drunk and i think she should just go to sleep." she scrunched her nose and reached out for jungkook's arm.

"i don't want to~" areum whined childishly, looking up at jungkook with a small pout. she saw his face turn a light shade of red as he stammered out his next words.

"u-upstairs. second d-door on the left. should i help you take-" taehyung gripped her arm, cutting jungkook's sentence off short, pulling her away from the younger boy and she whined louder.

"kookie-" her words fell short as she's lifted off the ground and thrown over taehyung's shoulder. "yah!" she exclaimed, hitting his back as he started up the stairs, ignoring all the looks the two of them were getting. "let me down, right this moment, kim taehyung or else i'll-"

the boy holding her shifts her forward and sets her feet back on the ground gently, but his eyes are saying something completely different. "or else you'll what?" he asked and she felt her mouth fall open, remembering the same exact words coming from his lips back at school. areum shuddered as he reached his arms over and pushed the door open from behind her. "go in." he muttered, nodding his head towards the empty room. she didn't move and instead stole a glance up at him. his jaw was clenched and his eyes were narrowed and she knew she'd be in for it when the door closed behind them. she shook her head slightly and watched as one of his eyebrows quirked up, making her heart flutter. "oh yeah?" she lifted her head, raising her chin up higher.

"you can't make me." areum told him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"let's bet on it." he snapped and in a quick, swift movement her feet were off the ground and the door was being slammed shut. her back hit the bed roughly and she gapsed, scrambling to sit up. he took a few steps forward and bent down in front of her as she sat on the edge of the bed.

"tae-taehyung..." she mumbled, feeling her face heat up, noticing that his eyes never left hers even as he reached out for her. she gasped slightly as his hands grab a hold of her foot and he slowly started to slide off her shoe.

"why are you always doing this to me?" he muttered as he started on the other shoe. he sighed, his hands running up her legs slowly when both shoes were discarded on the floor. she tilted her head, watching him as he stood to his feet. he slipped his coat off and his own shoes before slipping under the covers of the bed. her eyes widened a bit and she stiffened. "come here." he demanded, opening his arms for her. "areum." taehyung continued when she didn't immediately come. she sighed and obeyed, crawling over to him and letting him pull the covers over her.

his arms slid around her waist and he gently pulled her toward him. she closed her eyes, letting his warmth engulf her. "taehyung..." areum muttered and she heard him hum in response. she shyly slid her arms around him and buried her face into his chest breathing him in. "i-i'm sorry for causing a scene downstairs."

"that's all you're sorry for?" he asked and her eyes snapped open. she looked up at him, frowning. "you're not sorry at all for getting close to my friend?" she felt her face heat up at the mention of jimin. she turned her head away from taehyung and bit her lip.

"that's your fault."

"oh, is it?"

"if you weren't touching all those girls, i wouldn't have felt like getting that close to jimin." she muttered in a matter-of-fact voice. she felt taehyung's chest vibrate under her as he growled lightly.

"give me a kiss. as an apology." he finally replied and she sighed into his shirt.

"really?"

"do it or i'll leave."

"what?" areum quickly looked up at him, her eyes going wide. he smirked and she stuck out her bottom lip in a pout.

"oh! two kisses because i forgot about you whining and being all cute toward that younger kid."

"jungkook?" taehyung's eyes narrowed at the name and he puckered out his lips childishly. she sighed and rolled a bit so she was laying on top of him. "fine." she said reluctantly and quickly bent her head down to place her lips against his. maybe it was that there was still alcohol running through her system because she decided to be bold... just a little bit. she reached her hands to cup his face and deepened the kiss, her tongue sliding along his bottom lip the way she remembers him doing it when they first kissed under the tree. she felt him smirk into the kiss and she quickly pulled away, her face heating up.

"another one." he simply stated and she hit him in the chest.

"don't smirk like that or i'll never kiss you again." areum growled and then crashed her lips against his once more. he gasped slightly, taken aback by the sudden kiss and she took the chance to slip her tongue into his mouth. she smiled triumphantly into the kiss and leaned a little closer, the alcohol urging her forward. the tables were quickly turned as she felt taehyung's hand sneakily slide down her back to rest on her bottom. he gave it a light squeeze and she squealed as he gently took her lip with his teeth, biting down on it lightly with a mischievous glint in his eyes. she refrained from voicing how incredibly sexy that was and pulled away, glaring down at the boy who smirked up at her. with a small huff, she rolled off of him and buried herself under the blankets. "there." she muttered from under her blankets. "let's go sleep now."

"i know you've had a boyfriend before... i don't know why you act so shy." he hums, his arms wrapping around areum once more from behind. he pulls her toward him so her back is pressed against his chest. she let out a shaky breath as his hands wander her body curiously like they always do.

"i ne-never did anything like this with namjoon." areum closes her eyes, enjoying his cool fingers against her hot skin.

"really?" his voice was genuinely surprised and it made her heart drop a bit. what had he expected? did he really think she was the same as every other girl he's met? she forced herself to grab a hold of his hand and pull them out from under her shirt. she whirled around in his arms, her eyes flying up to meet his.

"you're the first, kim taehyung." areum took slight pride as his mouth part at the sudden words. "the first boy i've ever loved, the first person i've ever laid in bed with, cuddle with..." she let out a small sigh and smiles up at him. "you're my first." he smiled back at her, his hands gently caressing her face. "i love you." he smiled and leaned in, pressing his forehead against hers.

"i love you too."


	21. Chapter 21

_**mochi 🍡:** _ _good morning, areum ^^ u awake yet?_

areum drowsily glared at the bright screen coming from her phone with half opened eyes. she saw jimin's name flash at the top and mumbled a few curse words under her breath before pressing accept and pressing it to her ear.

"hello?" she murmured, her eyes fluttering closed again. taehyung hummed in his sleep, his arms tightening around her waist slightly. "jimin-ah?"

"did i wake you up?"

"no." she lied, as taehyung's hands unconsciously ran soothing circles against her bare stomach. she let out a soft sigh and smiled. "what's up?"

"do you remember last night?" she suddenly frowned, her eyes flickering open. "it's okay if you don't. can you meet up? i really need to tell you something. taehyung took you away before i could tell you." he stated and the way his voice sounded made her wake up a bit more. he sounded stressed and worried.

"alright, let me get dressed. come over to kookie's. we can make some coffee and talk while taehyung is asleep." areum told him and carefully slid out of taehyung's restraint. she stretched her body listening as jimin let out a sigh of relief. she tiredly padded out of the room and down the hall until she stopped at jungkook's room.

"thank you, areum." he breathed out and she rose an eyebrow wondering what he had to tell her that was so important. "i'll see you in a bit." they said their goodbyes and she shut her phone off before looking up at jungkook's door. she carefully knocked on it, nervously swallowing because she does remember last night and how much of a fool she acted.

"areum." the younger boy mumbled as he swung the door open. jeon jungkook stood in front of her, a small sleepy smile plastered on his face, his hair a mess and only wearing a pair of sweats. she felt her face heat up as her eyes glanced down to look at how wonderful his muscles are.

"wow, jungkookie!" she exclaimed before she could stop herself. she reached her hand out, her fingers slowly sliding down his chest and stomach. "you really did get some muscles." she glanced up at him and saw him noticing the way his face had turned red. she quickly withdrew her hand and cleared her throat. "u-um, i was wondering if i could borrow some clothes. jimin is coming over to talk with me and i look like a mess." jungkook quickly perked up and grinned at her.

"sure!" he exclaimed happily and stepped back into his room. areum nervously followed him and watched as he rummaged through his dresser pulling out a plain white t-shirt and a pair of gray sweats. she smiled at him as he handed them to her.

"thank you, kookie." she glanced around, before nervously glancing up at him. why was it so awkward talking to the younger boy? she's known him for years, they shouldn't be so tense around each other. "shower?"

"oh, it's in here!" he stated and pointed to the bathroom that connected to his room.

"do you mind?" he shook his head and stepped out of her way. she laughed a little at how quick he was to answer and she smiled at him, walking into the bathroom. "oh and jungkook... i'm sorry about the scene i caused last night." she sheepishly apologized and shut the door quickly.

areum really couldn't get used to all all these pretty boys that surrounded her. her life is so stressful. she sighed and quickly pulled the clothes from last night off and stepped into the shower. she hummed happily as the warm water hit her body.

"hey, areum. jimin is downstairs waiting for you." jungkook's voice came from outside the door.

"okay, i'll be down in five!"

**―**

"jimin-ah!" areum called happily as she stepped into the kitchen. both jimin and jungkook looked up at her, their eyes going wide. she blushed lightly and glanced down at herself. the white shirt that jungkook had given her had reached down past her knees so she decided to ditch the too big sweatpants that kept slipping off of her body anyways. "coffee?" she asked, quickly changing the attention to something else. jungkook finally smiled and handed her a steaming cup of coffee. she sighed happily and brought it to her lips. "thanks." he nodded and she tried to ignore the way his eyes kept looking her up and down. "so..." her eyes lifted and trailed over to the still silent jimin. "what's so important that you had to come all the way here to tell me?" jimin broke out of his trance, his eyes locking with hers.

"it's about kim taehyung."

"i got that part. but what about him?" she watched as he took a deep breath, his hands tightening around his coffee mug.

"listen, there's a reason that kim taehyung started going after you." she rose an eyebrow at the words, her heart falling because she knew there was something else that her boyfriend had been keeping from her.

"yeah? what's that?" areum asked nonchalantly, taking another sip of the hot coffee. 

"he made a bet with me. five hundred dollars if he could get you to say i love you in two months." his words came out so quickly and rushed and she froze, suddenly feeling sick to her stomach.

"he what?!" the voice wasn't areum's but yoongi's who had stepped into the kitchen with hoseok trailing behind him. all three of them glanced up to see the two boys tiredly and rather angrily looking at them. "five hundred bucks?!" jungkook sighed and areum got the feeling that he probably already knew.

"areum..." hoseok's voice came to her ears and his gentle touch on her shoulder made her look up at him. "oh, areum..." his hand reached out to touch her cheek and she shook her head.

"no, i'm okay. hobi, i'm okay." and it must have sounded like she was convincing everyone, even herself, that it was true.

"no, you're not." jimin interrupted and she looked over at him with narrowed eyes.

"oh, i'm sorry, jimin. i guess i'm not okay, because jimin-ah says so." she snapped, not meaning to take out the anger and the sadness that was welling up inside her on jimin. he was only here to help her and she was being mean.

"but, areum..." he hesitated and smiled at her sadly. "you're crying."


	22. Chapter 22

areum ended up heading back to seoul a day early then she had originally planned and she left without saying anything to taehyung. she didn't open any of his messages and she ignored all his calls because she honestly didn't know what to do at this moment. she hadn't known taehyung very long, not as long as seokjin and definitely not as long as the boys she grew up with but... she had fallen in love with him. it took her a lousy short month and a half to fall completely in love with that jerk and for what? five hundred bucks.

now that areum was back home and sitting in her living room by herself, she couldn't help but feel so stupid about the whole situation. how could she have let herself fall so hard for some rich, high school boy in such a short time? she felt stupid and hurt and she just wanted to curl up into a ball. she sighed, her eyes landing on her phone that hadn't stopped vibrating since she left her hometown. taehyung was relentless with his calls and texts. she picked up her phone and saw that it was jimin's name that lit up on the screen. she opened the message quickly. 

_**mochi 🍡:** _ _taehying is heading back to seoul. idk if he's going straight to see u or what but i thought i'd warn you_

**_mochi 🍡:_ ** _also, areum, i'm sorry this happened and... i hope we'll still be friends when we see each other monday..._

**_mochi 🍡:_ ** _sorry again_

areum sighed and threw her phone to the other side of the couch. she doesn't think she could hate jimin even if she tried. he had been part of the bet, as he explained to her with tears in his eyes, but he had made an effort to tell her before she got hurt. how would he know that she would have fallen so painfully hard for a boy like taehyung? she fell back against the couch and closed her eyes. of course the last thing she thought about before drifting off to sleep was taehyung.

**―**

areum jolts awake at the sound of her door being banged on. she sleepily sat up and glanced at the time. 10:07 pm it read and she stood to her feet as the banging got louder and more frantic. she felt her heart drop because she knew... she knew it was taehyung on the other side of the door. "wh-who is it?" she called as she reached the front door and grabbed a hold of the door knob before standing on her tip toes to peek through the peephole.

there he was. kim taehyung. he looked like a mess, as if he had ran here. his hair was sticking up in all different directions and his chest rose up and down quickly as he caught his breath. "areum." he simply replied and she quickly pulled herself away from the door, clenching her hands into fists. "let me in. please... please let me just... just talk to you, okay?"

"you want to talk?" areum scowled and shook her head. "there isn't anything to talk about." she heard him sigh loudly on the other side of the door and the sound of her door trying to be opened. "just go."

"i'll stay out here all night if i have to, areum." he said firmly and she knew he would and despite her better judgment she stepped forward and unlocked her door before opening it only slightly. her eyes flew up to meet his and her world froze. he looked down at her in panic, his eyes wide and filled with worry and... regret.

"whatever you have to say, you say it-" he cut her off, reaching his hand forward and gripping the door before forcing it all the way open. he quickly stepped in and in a quick couple of strides brought him inches from herself. shocked, she simply stared up at him, debating whether to scream at him or pathetically break down and cry in front of him. 

"areum. i'm sorry." he whispered and as soon as those words left his lips, areum found herself angrier than before.

"five hundred bucks, tae? that was how much i was worth to you? you made me fall completely in love with you for a lousy 500 bucks?!" areum spat the words and stepped toward the boy in front of her and pushed him with all the strength she had. he let her and stumbled back slightly, his eyes glued to the floor, his head hung low. "what? you're sorry for making me love you? sorry that it was just a game to you?" she continued as she felt the tears well up in her eyes. "i can't believe you." she pushed him again and this time he retaliated, reaching up to grip her wrists tightly in his hands. "le-let go!" she demanded as she struggled in his grip, but he only held on tighter, pulling her toward him.

"i know you have every right to be mad at me. i'm sorry, i'm so sorry that i only went out with you for a bet. i'm sorry i hurt you." he said and she could hear the sincerity in his voice but she desperately tried to ignore it. she didn't want to easily forgive him. she wasn't going to let him fool her twice. "i love you. you have to know that i love you." areum scoffed and yanked her wrists out of his hands, ignoring the pain from his tight grip.

"fool me once, shame on you, kim taehyung." she whispered, quickly wiping away the tears that fell. she let out a shaky breath, her eyes flickering up to meet his. "but fool me twice, shame on me. i really won't fall for it a second time, tae." she nodded toward the opened door and smiled at him. "i think you need to leave, taehyung."


	23. Chapter 23

monday came too fast for areum's liking. she wasn't really ready to go to school and face taehyung or even seokjin for that matter. the thing getting her out of bed was the fact that she was going to see yoongi and hoseok today. 

_**yoongles 🦐:** _ _i'm outside. hurry it up_

**_yoongles 🦐:_ ** _yah, we'll be late if you don't get up soon_

**_yoongles 🦐:_ ** _i'm gonna come up there in a second if you don't come down_

**_areum:_ ** _aish, i'll leave_

areum quickly scrambled out of bed and got herself dressed in her school uniform. she threw her hair up into a ponytail and grabbed her bag before rushing out of her apartment. when she got outside, yoongi was waiting for her on his motorcycle with a scowl on his face. she smiled when he noticed her and caught the helmet he threw at her. "get on, you silly girl." he muttered and she did as told.

"i didn't know you were coming or i would have set an earlier alarm." areum told him as she situated herself behind him, her arms comfortably slipping around him. he kicked up the kickstand and revved the engine.

"hold on tight." he replied and her arms tightened around him. she pressed her head against his back as he started down the street.

"yoongi-ah, i'm sad." she whispered into his back, knowing very well he wouldn't be able to hear her. she bit down on her lip, trying to keep herself from crying. she had done enough of that all of sunday. she's surprised yoongi didn't comment on her puffy, red eyes. "i'm so sad." she repeated just before yoongi slowed down as they entered the school lot. he parked his bike and quietly helped her off and took her helmet off for her. for a second, he simply stared down at her with this little, half smile of his.

"everything will be okay." he finally said and brought a hand to her face. she smiled up at him and nodded her head even though she was not okay. he nodded toward the school and gave her a gentle push forward. "go on. i'll meet up with you later." she hesitated before nodding. she waved goodbye and turned her back to him, really wishing she could just go home. she should have just stayed with her brother. he said she could, but she's stubborn. she made a face, as she made her way down the hall, her mind automatically going to taehyung. he was all she could think about, even when she wanted to hate him.

"areum." she froze at the sound of the voice, her breath hitching in her throat. she watched as the halls cleared, leaving just her and the last person she wanted to see behind her. she took a deep breath and whirled around. and she really wanted to look like she didn't care about him anymore, but as soon as she saw him, her heart dropped and her knees grew weak. "areum..." he said again, taking a step forward that she quickly countered. she held her hand up and he stopped reluctantly. "can we not do this? please, hm?" he begged and she could hear the way his voice cracked. she wanted to agree and run into his arms, but he was just so good at making her look so stupid. she shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest.

"no, no, no. i told you i won't fall for you twice, taehyung. i won't do it. you hurt me. oh god, you hurt me so fucking much." areum told him and he winced at her words. "i don't think you understand how quickly i fell in love with you and how much i wanted to make it work with you, tae... but i am not some girl you can play with and throw away when you're bored. i won't be. i'm more than that." she spat and hesitated before continuing. "if you really need someone to pass time with, maybe you can talk to suzy. it seems you two might have more in common with each other than we ever will." and with that, she turned on her heels and hurried down the hall and around the corner, ignoring the way he sounded so sad when he called her name. when she was for sure as far away as she could be from him, she leaned against the wall and caught her breath.

don't cry. don't cry. don't you dare cry again, areum. she had to keep telling herself to suck it up and stop crying because it wasn't going to fix anything. what's done is done. she sighed and got herself together, deciding it wouldn't hurt to skip class just for today when her phone vibrated in her pocket. she fumbled for it and turned it on to see seokjin's name.

**_jinnie ⚡:_ ** _meet me on the roof? please?_

**_areum:_ ** _now?_

**_jinnie ⚡:_ ** _if u can..._

**_areum:_ ** _okay, give me 10_

**_jinnie ⚡:_ ** _kay, hurry up... i miss u_

areum turned off her phone and took another deep breath before heading off to meet with seokjin. it had been awhile and she couldn't go forever avoiding him. he was her best friend and no matter how she felt for taehyung or anyone else she didn't want to lose him, but as she made her way up the stairs to the roof... she couldn't help but feel uneasy.


	24. Chapter 24

areum didn't have time to really think about what to say to seokjin because as soon as she swung the door open, she was being engulfed into a pair of warm arms. she squealed, as the arms tightened around her waist, pulling her into his chest. "areum... promise me you'll never ignore me no matter what's going on... ever again." seokjin spoke near her ear and she closed her eyes, burying herself into his embrace.

"okay, i'm sorry." areum told him softly, her arms reaching up to wrap around his neck. he pulled back, their eyes locking. "i won't ignore you again. i promise." he nodded then and brought his face closer, his nose brushing her own. 

"i missed you."

"me too." she hummed back, but she could tell this was going to be a serious conversation soon, so she reluctantly pulled out of his arms and took a step back. "i have something to say."

"i do too." he replied back instantly, countering her step back by stepping toward her. she swallowed nervously because his eyes never wavered and they remained locked on hers, their gazes never breaking.

"you should know, i love kim taehyung." areum told him in a quiet voice and he grunted in response, his eyes narrowing as she continued. "but i won't be dating him because..." her voice broke as she tried to get the words out. "i was only a bet. he bet five hundred dollars that i'd fall in love with him." 

"he what?!" she jumped back in surprise at the rise of seokjin's voice and how angry it was. his eyes were wide and his nose flared and couldn't help but shudder because it was honestly too scary.

"i was a bet, but it's over. i won't be talking to him anymore, okay?" seokjin's gaze softened, but he tightened his hands into fists. "that's all. i thought you should know, jin."

"that's it?" areum nodded and watched as he took another step forward and took a hold of her face in his hands. she felt her face grow hot, but she couldn't break his gaze. "go out with me."

"what?! no!" she exclaimed, extremely flustered at how demanding he sounded. "i just told you-"

"i don't care. go out with me and i'll help you forget that jerk." he continued and she looked up at him with wide eyes. he couldn't be serious, right? "areum, if i have to be more forward to show you how much i want you, i will." he spoke and before she could react, he crashed his lips against hers. her hands flew up to grip his arms as he stepped closer, his hand tangling through her hair. he pushed her forward, deepening the kiss and she felt her eyes flutter close, as she got lost in the kiss. she doesn't know how long they stood there kissing and everything is hazy as he pulls away. "hm, what do you say?" he asked, watching as she tries to catch her breath, and smiles down at her while pressing his body closer to hers. "it'll be a trial for now. just let me show you... how much better i am than kim taehyung." 

maybe it was in the heat of the moment after being kissed so passionately or maybe it was because areum wanted to get some type of revenge on taehyung but she yes and then she was being kissed all over again.

it was just as passionate and breathtaking as the first one.


	25. Chapter 25

after the kiss that day on the roof, a million and one thoughts rushed through areum's head. she was dating her best friend. she was dating kim seokjin. he had no problem with letting the whole entire school know either, as he held her hand while they walked to class. she could practically feel the school's eyes on her as they burned holes through her back from their hate-filled glares. she was already having second thoughts and they had only been "dating," if that's what you could call it, for a couple of days. they hadn't done much other than hold hands and they hadn't really even spoken to each other. she thinks jin is trying to ignore the fact that she's still in love with taehyung and it makes things hard and awkward between them. "you know, jin, i don't know if this is-"

"you can't say no to me now. please, don't run away." he said before areum could finish her sentence. they stopped in front of their class and his hand tightened around hers. she let out a shaky breath and nervously glanced up at him. it had only been a couple of days since that day on the roof, but he already looked at her with more love than she had ever seen in taehyung. she was conflicted on how to feel about the whole thing. she felt flattered that despite everything, seokjin still wanted her. but at the same time... she misses taehyung. she misses him so much and she hates herself for it because seokjin is better. he's everything taehyung can't be.

"i'm just... everyone looks like they're so against it. we're different, jin..." areum breathes out after a while. her eyes lock with his and she gives him a small, half smile.   
"we're so different and i... i still love him." he frowns and opens his mouth to reply when a voice sounds from behind her.

"don't take it personally, she says that to all the guys she dates. well, not the love part." areum's face instantly scrunches up at the sound of taehyung's familiar voice and she whirls around to see him standing behind her, his hands stuffed in his pockets. if areum didn't know taehyung, she would say he looked normal, but by the way his jaw was clenched and his eyes were narrowed... she knew better. before she can think of saying or possibly doing something she'll regret, she's gently pulled back, her back being pressed against seokjin's chest.

"hello, v. i assume you've heard by now, yes?" jin said casually and areum felt her stomach churn. she's been trying really hard to not think about taehyung, knowing that she's now dating the guy who seemingly steals all his girlfriends. "areum and i are dating." taehyung flinched at his words, but his eyes remained on her. she fidgeted nervously underneath his intense glare, her eyes dropping to the floor.

"yes. it must be hard dating a girl that still thinks about me." he spat and she could hear the venom dripping from his words as seokjin's arms tightened around her. "areum." she couldn't help herself as she lifted her head to meet his gaze. he take a step forward and she involuntarily steps back into seokjin. she watches as he bends down to her eye level and leans in before whispering, "does he make you feel the way i did... the way i still do?" her face flushed at his words and the way his hot breath tickled her neck. he pulls back and she can tell by the smirk on his face that he's doing it on purpose, he's riling her up, making himself a home under her skin. she scowls and shoves him away.

"do you want to know how seokjin-oppa makes me feel?" areum asked and she turned to her new boyfriend and smiled up at him. he rose an eyebrow, confused at her sudden question. "he makes me feel like a very lucky girl and you know what else?" her eyes slid back to taehyung. "i like being with him so much more than you." she said with her head raised high and before she could see the hurt flash in his eyes, before she could regret her words or think about how they were lies, she quickly took seokjin's hand and pulled him into the class, ignoring the whispers and not-so-quiet jabs.

"you were never a good liar." seokjin mutters as they take their seats and she looked over at him, surprised by his sudden statement. but she couldn't be shocked for too long, because she thinks about how he must feel, knowing that she can't stop thinking about tae. she can't imagine how he feels. she wants to say sorry or that it's not true, that she really does like only him, but she can't because then she'd really be a liar. "you should just hurry up and fall in love with me for real."


	26. Chapter 26

_**tae-tae ❤️:** _ _do u miss me?_

one week and areum's mind is still constantly swarmed with thoughts of taehyung. she can't even face jin, because she knows he'll know that she's still completely in love with taehyung. she doesn't want to hurt him, because he's so much better than taehyung, but she doesn't think she'll ever be in love with seokjin.

 _**tae-tae ❤️:** _ _i want to talk to u. stop ignoring my messages_

areum's phone was filled with unanswered messages from taehyung. ones that make her miss him and want to go back to him and she hates it. she wants to hate him, but he has this way saying everything she wants to hear. and it makes her so confused. what does she do? would it make her an easy girl if she just forgave him just like that? because she wants to. she wants to forgive him and wrap her arms around him.

 **_tae-tae ❤️:_ ** _i'm sorry. i'm so fucking sorry, areum_

one after another and areum doesn't know if or how she should reply to them. she lets out a groan and lays back on her bed staring at her phone, more messages popping up.

 **_tae-tae ❤️:_ ** _areum_

 **_tae-tae ❤️:_ ** _i'm coming to see u_

areum frowned and quickly sat up in her bed.

 **_areum:_ ** _don't come. i mean it, tae. i don't want to see u. just leave me alone_

 **_tae-tae ❤️:_ ** _i'm coming_

sure enough, ten minutes later, there's a loud bang against her apartment door. she felt her stomach churn and she tossed her phone onto the bed, before leaving her room and making her way over to the door. she hesitated, her hand on the door knob. if she lets him in, it would feel like she was betraying seokjin, but she wanted to see him. "areum, come on. open the door." his voice came from the other side of the door and she felt her breath hitch in her throat. she clutched at the door knob, fighting an internal battle in her mind.

"g-go home, taehyung." she stuttered out, her voice wavering and not nearly as convincing as she wanted it to sound.

"areum, i want to see you." she doesn't know if it was the way he said the words, so gentle and real, or if she was just insane, but she opened the door. she unlocked it and opened it slightly, her head peeking around and she thinks she's stopped breathing as her eyes locked with his.

"what-" her question is cut short, as he presses his hand against the door and pushes it all the way open, causing her to stumble back. and she doesn't have time to think or protest as he reaches out and wraps his arms around her. he pulls her to him, their bodies pressed tightly together. and she thinks she could cry because when he speaks, his voice cracks and god, she missed him so fucking much, but then she remembers how much it hurt to find out what he did. she feels the anger rise back up and then she's pushing him away, struggling to get out of his grasp. "i hate you. i hate you!" she screamed, hitting his chest over and over. he didn't stop her, but just looked down at her, letting her take her anger out on him. "i hate that i still think about you and i hate that you keep showing up in front of me. i hate that i can't move on, because seokjin is so much better than you. he treats me all the ways you wouldn't, but for some reason... all i can think about is you and i fucking hate you for it."

"you drive me crazy, you know that? i love you, areum. i love you so, so much it's laughable." he whispers near her ear and she squeezes her eyes shut as his arms tighten around her. her breathing is heavy and she suddenly just feels _so tired_ from fighting against his tight grasp. she can't help herself then and lifts her arms to wrap around his neck and pulls him closer and closer because it just wasn't enough. she wants him and she needs him. everything after that happens so quickly. his hands are moving under her shirt and sliding along her skin, as his lips press hungry and rushed kisses against her neck. she's missed his touch.

"tae..." areum breathes as his kisses move along her jaw and she holds her breath as his lips stop at hers, hovering there for a second.

"tell me you love me."

"taehy-"

"say it." he demanded and their eyes locked and it's almost as if his eyes are looking into her very soul. "i need to hear it. you've been going out with my friend and i don't know if you really love me anymore." his eyes are so dark and intense that she finds herself getting nervous under his gaze. "areum." he growled, his hand reaching up to grip her chin and tilt her head back up. "say it."

"i can't."

"why? is it because you really do love seokjin because if-"

"no! that's not it! it's just... tae, you made me love you because of a bet. can you blame me for being scared? i can't just forget about it. it'd be so much easier on me and it wouldn't hurt as much, _but i can't_ -"

"areum." the way he says her name causes her to forget all her words and she looks up at him, her heart clenching as she waited to hear what he had to say. "if you don't say it, i'm going to leave."

"what-" she starts to say, but stops herself because she doesn't want him to leave.

"say it." he whispers and leans in, his lips almost touching hers.

"i love you. god, i love you so fucking much, kim taehyung." she blurted and then yanked him the rest of the distance, closing the gap between them and crashing their lips together. she sighed into the kiss, as his hands tangled in her hair, pressing her even closer. every part of their bodies were touching and her skin felt like it was on fire. his lips molded against hers and she almost, _almost_ forgot the way his kisses made her feel. her head went all foggy and she finally pulled away to breathe. their eyes locked, both of them panting and the way taehyung looked at her in that moment was sinful.

"you can't take it back now. you're really mine now." he whispered and backed the two of them until his back hit the door, slamming it shut. "do you understand?" areum licked her lips and nodded her quickly, still out of breath that she couldn't even form words except for the two he wanted to hear.

"... _i_ _understand._ " 


	27. Chapter 27

areum woke up the next morning with mixed emotions. she was happy, so happy, to wake up tangled in the sheets with taehyung's arm slung over her waist. it felt perfect, it felt right, but at the same time she felt incredibly guilty and sad because what about seokjin? she was sleeping with the guy that seemingly stole every girl he's ever liked. "what are you thinking about so early in the morning?" taehyung's sleepy voice his her ears as he pulled her back against his chest. his large hands ran along her bare waist and stomach, sending shivers down her back.

"you won't be happy if i tell you." areum admits in a soft voice with his hands still over her and she closes her eyes, wishing she could just go back to sleep. she wishes they could stay here and not have to get out of bed to deal with their problems.

"you know, it makes me angry when you think about other guys while being in bed with me." taehyung huffed childishly, before burying his face into the crook of her neck. his lips pressed soft, gentle kisses against her skin. she lets out a little sigh and presses closer to him.

"i-i know, but i haven't broken up with him yet! and last night we-"

"shh, lets worry about that when it comes time to."

"it is time! we have school in two hours!" she snapped back and pulled herself out of his arms, reluctantly, and turned over to her other side so she could look at him. now that they were face to face she could see that smug smirk tugging on his lips and his dark eyes that always seemed to know what she was thinking. "ugh, i hate you." she mumbled and wrapped her arms around him, hiding her face in his chest.

"no you don't." he simply murmured back and placed his hand on areum's hips, before rolling onto his back so she sat on top of him. she felt her cheeks heat up and looked down at him questioningly. "we've got two hours. we should do something productive." taehyung cooed and her mouth dropped open at the meaning behind his words.

"tae!" she exclaimed and hit his chest lightly with her fist. "no way. i don't want to." she defiantly told him and began to climb off him and the bed before he pulled her back down. "taehyung..." she warned and he quirked an eyebrow, before sliding his hand behind her neck and bringing her face closer to his.

"just a good morning kiss." he hummed and then pressed his lips against hers. she pathetically admits that she melted immediately as her lips touched his and sighed into the kiss. she let her eyes flutter close as she wraps her arms around him. since last night, she noticed how much gentler and sweeter his kisses are than before. he had her in his hands with just one kiss. they parted and her eyes opened, their gazes meeting for a few long seconds. "i love you." he whispered and her face was hot again.

"i love you too." she replied quickly, before pulling herself out of his arms and jumping off the bed.

"you look good."

"what? how? i just woke-" areum's eyes went wide and she quickly pulled the sheets off of the bed and wrapped it around her naked body. "oh my god. taehyung!"

"it's not my fault!" taehyung replied, amused, as she scrambled around for a piece of clothing to cover her body. she glared at him and finally grabbed a shirt, slipping it over her head. it fell to about mid-thigh but it covered everything. she found a new pair of panties, because god knew where her pair from last night was, and shimmied them on. "oh, you look good like that too." he teased as he found his boxers laying at the end of her bed and slipped them on.

"you're such a brat." she growled and turned on her heels before rushing out of her bedroom. "do you want coffee?" she called as she walked into her kitchen and found the coffee. "i make yummy coffee." she told him, as he followed her. she glanced over at him to see him lingering in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest. it was ridiculous how sexy she thought kim taehyung was and how he made her feel. she quickly slid her eyes away and back to her coffee, turning the coffee pot on. she gasped as she suddenly felt him behind her, his arms sliding around her waist from behind. he rested his chin on her shoulder and hummed.

"i like this."

"what?"

"being with you in the morning." he replied back softly, his hands rubbing soothing patterns against her stomach. "you're beautiful and i'm so happy you took me back. i can't even begin to explain how glad i am."

"tae..."

"i mean it. you won't regret it." areum smiled at that and decided she shouldn't worry. she shouldn't worry about what would happen when they got to school or if this was really the right thing for her, because right now, this was all she wanted.


	28. Chapter 28

_"i just want you to be happy, areum."_

those are the words jin told areum when she broke up with him. it's been a couple of days and areum was still thinking of the way he looked at her. she couldn't erase the picture of heartbroken jin from her mind. she hasn't heard from him, even though he said they could still be friends. she's sure it isn't easy to see the girl you love with the guy that always seems to get what he wants in the end. it made her somewhat angry with taehyung, even though he was the one she chose to begin with.

_**tae-tae ❤️:** i miss ur smile_

it was taehyung's fifth message that areum hadn't replied to. she had been expertly avoiding him throughout the school day. it seemed like she was getting better at avoiding her problems and her feelings. yoongi told her, despite making it clear, he really hated the fact that tae was her boyfriend. that she couldn't run away forever. he said she would never be happy that way. while hoseok was all too happy to keep her hidden from taehyung and helping her out.

that leads areum to how she ended up on the floor of the library, in the back, away from prying eyes, with hoseok sprawled out next to her. he's sleeping, but just his company seems to make her feel just a bit lighter. the book on her lap does nothing to distract her from her mean thoughts though and she wished it would. she glances at her phone, the screen telling her that taehyung had sent her two new messages.

_**tae-tae ❤️:** _ _i really hate it when u avoid me, areum_

**_tae-tae ❤️:_ ** _i love u. what else do u need?_

maybe a not guilty conscience. "do you really love him that much? i mean, you're hiding in the library from him." hoseok's muffled voice came from under the book that covered his face, making areum jump in surprise. she glanced down at him to see his eyes peeking out from over the book.

"i love him... i think."

"'i think,' isn't enough, areum."

"i know that, hobi." areum snapped, rolling her eyes that made hoseok scrunch his nose up before he sat up. he leaned against her shoulder, resting his cheek atop her head. "i'm just... i don't know what i'm feeling anymore. i'm pretty sure i love taehyung, but jin... god, he just looked at me and my heart broke. he makes me laugh and smile and i love him... i just don't know if it's the love he wants from me or not."

the two of them went quiet for a second and the only sounds areum could really hear was their steady breathing and the sound of her phone vibrating in her hands. "since when did you become so popular?" hoseok joked near her ear. she made a face and looked up at him, before letting out a small laugh.

"trust me, i wish it was like back at home. the only boys i had to worry about were my brothers and namjoon." areum replied with a small shake of her head.

"you know, yoongi had the biggest crush on you. still does." she rose an eyebrow and looked over at him for any sign that this was just a joke, but his expression remained stoic. 

"don't joke about stuff like that."

"i'm not joking." 

"hoseok, do you really have to tell me these things? do you want my life to spiral out of control?"

"does yoongi liking you change anything?" areum hesitated, her heart skipping a beat... does it change anything? why was she being this way? she felt so fickle and gross.

"no, i don't think it would." she whispered, not really sure if it was a lie or not. she had only ever thought yoongi once romantically. it was during one of their middle school basketball games. their team had just won and in the heat of the moment, she threw her arms around him. he hugged her so tightly and spun her around and she could have sworn the look they shared caused fireworks. she liked him for a two weeks after that - right up until he got himself a girlfriend. he was her best friend and she didn't want anything to be ruined because of her silly, probably not real feelings for him.

"don't lie."

"will you stop?" areum bit back, her eyes snapping up to meet hoseok's. they stared at each other for a moment, before she let out a sigh. "i'm leaving. i was hiding with you because it isn't stressful, but you're making my load a whole lot bigger." she spat, feeling a little bit more bitter than she should be. she was wrongfully taking it out on hoseok, but he was here and fueling her on. she gathered her books and stuffed them in her bag before standing up.

"you should really think about what you want, areum. if you don't even know, how will anybody else?"


	29. Chapter 29

her head hurts. if she wasn't studying for finals coming up, she was thinking about taehyung or seokjin or - now thanks to hoseok - yoongi. to top it off, she's been avoiding yoongi - who has definitely noticed by the three or four messages she gets by him - telling her she should just tell him what's wrong instead of being a child and avoiding him like the "plague." areum doesn't want to though. it's stupid and she knows she'll get nowhere by running away, but one or more people are going to get hurt in this love whatever this is. they're all so important to her and she doesn't know what to do anymore.

it was easier before. she definitely loves, or thinks she loves, taehyung. she wonders if she could get away with avoiding all of them until school is over. it's only like three weeks left. she could do it. "stupid." she muttered and pushed her school books away from her. she wasn't able to concentrate anyways. why even try to study?

areum sighed at the feeling of her phone vibrating in her pants pocket. it was either taehyung or yoongi wondering why she was avoiding them or hoseok apologizing to her but still telling her to figure out what she felt. she reluctantly pulled her phone out, but before she could turn it on, she heard the sound of a motorcycle and her heart dropped. she held her breath and hoped with all her heart, that it wasn't who she thought it was.

one minute, two minutes went by and there was a soft knock at her door. of course there was. "areum?" yoongi's voice came from the other side of the door and she wondered if maybe she just stayed quiet he'd go away. "please open the door. you know how much i hate it when you ignore me. i can't stand it." she bit her lip, her resolve slowly falling away because she did know. yoongi always hated it when she gave him the silent treatment. she can remember once in middle school - she forgets what he did but it made her angry - and she made it painfully obvious she wasn't talking to him. one week in her silent treatment, she walked into her classroom to find a bunch of flowers and a note that just said, "i'm sorry." he always had a hard time showing her how he felt inside, but she knew how bighearted he truly was. "areum, just tell me why you're being this way and i'll go home, okay?" she sighed and placed her phone on the table, forgetting the earlier message, as she walks over to the door.

areum took a deep breath and unlocked her apartment door, before swinging it open. for a moment, they were both quiet and she couldn't look him in the eyes, so she was left staring at his chest. i mean, what was she supposed to say? i'm avoiding you because hoseok said you liked me in middle school and still do? no way! what if hoseok was joking and he laughs at her? but what really scared her was... what if it's true? what does she do then? does that change anything at all? she knows it shouldn't. she's dating taehyung. she loves him. she does, but is she in love with him? or does she just think she is?

"areum, look at me." she chewed at her bottom lip for a moment longer before carefully lifting her head and sliding her eyes up to meet his. her chest hurt as soon as she met his eyes, because he looked so sad, but she could see the anger and confusion lying beneath that. she did that to him. "what's going on?"

"i d-don't know." she mumbled and closed her eyes, because she was going to cry and she has definitely been crying too much lately. she heard him sigh, making her heart skip a beat. "i'm sorry, yoongi." she whispered, her eyes flickering open.

"for what?" he replied, reaching a hand up and pressing it against her cheek. she felt her breath catch in her throat, because it was these gestures, these small touches of his that made her love him back in middle school. her heart hammered in her chest and she had to take a deep breath to calm herself before she took a step back from yoongi.

"hoseok told me something."

"oh, areum-"

"he said you liked me." areum said quickly, her eyes darting down to the floor to stare at her feet. "it's silly, really, but... i just-"

"you were ignoring me because you thought i liked you?"

"then, you don't?" her head snapped up and she doesn't know if it was relief or regret she felt. god, it would be easier on her if it was just relief.

"i didn't say that."

"wh-what?" she stumbled with her words and tripped on her feet as she scrambled to take a step back when he stepped forward.

"i mean, i do like you, but you're so childish sometimes." he laughed and it surprised her because this was not how it's supposed to go. this was not what she expected.

"yoongi, you can't!" she exclaimed and he rose an eyebrow, before taking another step forward and she countered it, her back hitting the side of the counter. she squealed as his hands reached out and gripped the counter, boxing her in.

"why?"

"be-because i'm dating taehyung."

"do you really love him?" she couldn't answer and it made her so angry because it should have been easy for her to say 'yes.' she opened her mouth, but no words came out. "areum, do you love him?"

"yeah, areum. do you love me?" areum jumped at the sound of another voice, her eyes flickering behind yoongi to see taehyung lingering in the doorway. oh my god. "i gave you a text saying i was coming over to talk. you didn't answer and now i can see why." she quickly pushed yoongi away and moved herself to the other side of the counter away from both yoongi and taehyung who had stepped into her apartment. "so, are you going to answer?"

"i do love you, tae." she mumbled, her eyes flickering from him to yoongi. she cleared her throat and glanced at the counter in front of her. "i just, i'm so confused. you guys keep pushing me with your feelings and finals are coming up and hoseok keeps telling me to figure out how i really feel. i don't know what to do!" she vented, her pent up feelings coming out in a rush. "i love taehyung!" her head snapped up and her eyes met his. "i do, oh, i love you so much my heart hurts every time i feel so confused like this. but then jin, he's my best friend, and i love him too. i hurt him, you don't understand how much i didn't want that. i hurt him and i don't think things will ever be the same."

"areum-"

"let me finish!" she snapped and taehyung's mouth shut, his hands going back into his pockets. she could tell by the look he was giving her, that they were definitely going to have a more private talk. "i'm sorry, yoongi. i didn't realize. if you would have said something back in middle school, i would have told you i loved you too. i did. you were my first love, but don't you think it's a little too late to come barging in and making my life even more complicated?" he didn't have to answer for her to know he understood.

"i'm going to leave." yoongi finally said after a second and areum suddenly felt sorry for him. she didn't mean for him to get hurt either, but it just seemed like her life wasn't going to go the way she wanted it to any time soon. so, she just nodded and watched him leave. it was just her and tae now. his eyes hadn't left her since the moment he showed up and it was starting to make her nervous.

"what? just spit it out." she finally snapped, her eyes finally meeting his cold gaze. "what? what do you want to say?"

"so, do you want me to leave too? are we breaking up?" he asked and his harsh way of speaking sent shivers down her spine. "is that what you want after everything we went through?"

"what we went through because of you." she added, her eyes narrowed and he returned the glare before taking a couple of strides towards her. and before she knew it, she was nose to nose with taehyung.

"do you love me or not, areum?" his voice broke when he asked the question. his hands reached up to grab her face, his eyes never leaving hers. "please tell me you love me."

"i love you, tae."

"are you in love with me?" she swallowed, hesitating for only a second, before giving him her answer.

"i'm not sure."


	30. Chapter 30

"jungkook?" areum breathed out, surprised to see her younger childhood friend standing in her doorway. "what are you doing here?" she asked confused. not only is it a bit of ways to get to seoul from where he lives, but he also has school.

"i got my parents to let me come to school here! high school starts for me next year, so i can move into the dorms then." he replied happily, giving areum a big gummy smile. "until then..." he trailed off, his smile dropping from his face.

"until then what?"

"can i stay with you, noona? please? i promise i'll help clean and cook and it'll be like i'm not even here!" he pleaded, his eyes wide and his bottom lip in a cute little pout that he definitely knew areum couldn't resist. the thought of jungkook living with her, even if it wasn't only for a few weeks and the summer, made her a little uneasy. even though she wasn't on best terms with taehyung - she doesn't even think they're dating at the moment - he still wouldn't like the fact that she's living with a boy.

"i don't know, jungkook." areum replied as she allowed him to step into her apartment. "i don't have an extra bed and my apartment is kind of small as it already is." she tried to reason, rubbing at the back of her neck sheepishly. she wouldn't say it out loud but she wasn't sure rooming with a boy - other than tae - was a good idea.

"come on, noona. please, i'll sleep on the couch. please, please, please." he pouted, taking areum's hands into his large ones. she frowned, her eyes flickering from their hands to his face.

"can't you stay with jimin?"

"no way! he's annoying! i don't want to. just let me stay here." she yanked her hands out of his and let out a loud sigh. "noonaaaaa~" he whined, taking a step toward her, making her heart stop for a second because he was so close.

"o-okay! okay, fine! just stop pouting and being cute. it's annoying." she replied before stepping back and retreating to the kitchen. "and also don't be talking about it. i don't want there to be rumors."

"you mean, you don't want taehyung to know." jungkook countered as he plopped himself down on the couch. she glared at him as she stepped out of the kitchen, with two cups of hot coffee. she handed him one and he only shrugged his shoulders. "i can't believe you're dating such a jerk. you deserve so much better, noona."

"well..." she sighed again, sitting down next to him. she fidgeted nervously as he threw his arm over her shoulder and pulled her closer to his chest. they have always been close - since they were kids - but it was weird now. he was bigger, good looking, and also in her apartment alone with her. "i'm not sure if we're together at the moment. i d-don't know what i want really."

"do what makes you happy, but i honestly don't think he's the one that will do that." jungkook spoke, his voice soft and kind. areum smiled up at him and cuddled into his arm. it was nice to have someone to talk to that wasn't taehyung or hoseok, who was telling her to get her head on straight.

"you're too kind, jungkook. the girl that will fall in love with you will be lucky." she told him with a small chuckle before taking a sip of her coffee.

"i actually like someone already."

"oh, yeah? then, why did you come to go to school here?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "she must be sad."

"she lives here. she's older than me and she's always having trouble with some guy that is not good enough for her." even though jungkook didn't say a name, her face still got hot. maybe it was the way he never broke eye contact as he spoke about this girl he liked or the undertone in his voice. "she's super cute when she's blushing and her smile is my favorite. i love it." his voice had gotten deeper and huskier since the last time they really had a long talk like this and it was making her stomach twirl. she cleared her throat and moved herself out of his arm, sitting at the opposite end of the couch.

"well, you sound like you really like her." 

"i-" his voice got cut off at the sound of her phone going off.

"hold that thought, kookie." she mumbled, thankful for the distraction. she had no idea where the conversation was going to head. she took her phone out of her pocket and moved to the kitchen before turning it on. the name on the screen made her heart fall to her stomach. tae. part of her missed him - his touch, his lips, his voice - but the other half was still unsure if he was the one. she opened the message and she suddenly felt like curling up into a ball and never leaving her room ever again.

_**tae-tae ❤️:** _ _let's stop it here, huh? i love you so fucking much, but you're still so confused as to what you want. can't you just want me? i don't know what to do to prove to you that i'm the one, so let's just... stop. goodbye, areum._

"areum..." jungkook's voice came from behind her, but all she could focus on were taehyung's words. wow, she didn't know he thought of her - them - like that. she gasped, pressing a hand to her chest, because her heart hurt so much. god, it hurt. "areum." jungkook whispered, his arms now wrapping around her. "why are you crying?"

"i'm not." she whimpered, as he lifted her head, but she was. jungkook carefully wiped away her tears and comforted her with soft 'it'll be okay's' and 'he isn't worth these tears.' she wish she could nod and say, 'you're right' and not be so sad. she couldn't though. her confused mind was causing her so much trouble. how could words like that hurt so much if she didn't love taehyung? is that why she feels like she can't breathe anymore? does she love him? "jungkook, what do i do? i d-don't know what to do." she sobbed as his arms wrapped around her, pulling her into his chest.

"shhh, just cry it out. you'll figure it out. whatever happens is obviously meant to happen. you'll see what you want." he whispered in her ear, one hand rubbing her back gently, and the other placed on her hip. "and, i'll always be here. no matter what you decide you want."

"th-thank you, kookie."


	31. Chapter 31

the next morning was shit. everything was shit actually. taehyung true to his word, hadn't sent areum another text after the last one and the thought of going to school and seeing him ignore her, made her stomach churn. she wishes love was easy, that everything had a simple answer. at the sound of soft knocking on her bedroom door, she groans and rolls over in her blanket because she also remembers that she's now roommates with jeon jungkook.

"areum?" his soft, yet deep voice, called as he carefully opened her door. "i made breakfast. as a sort of thank you, i guess?" she could tell he was walking on eggshells around her after her breakdown last night. she doesn't think she's cried so much since taehyung came into her life.

she peeked at jungkook from under her blankets and saw that warm, familiar smile that always seemed to tell her that things would turn out okay. "i'm not very hungry." she mumbled, watching as he stepped into her room and made his way over to her bed.

"breakfast is the most important meal of the day, noona."

"since when did you become so responsible?" she teased with a small chuckle, before sitting up in her bed. "really, i'm not hungry right now. i'll grab something from school. you should get ready, too. it's already-" her eyes flicker over to her clock and they widen at the time. "shit, it's already eight!" she pushed the blankets off of her and scrambles out of her bed. she grabbed a shirt and a pair of jeans before rushing into the bathroom. she didn't really see what she had put on and just slid into them before throwing her hair up into a ponytail. "why didn't you get me up earlier? how'd i sleep through my alarm?" she complained as she rushed out of the bathroom and scrambled to find her shoes and bag.

"i turned it off. i thought you could sleep in a bit."

"jungkook. i have important finals to study for. the last thing i need is to sleep in and miss something important in class." areum scowled at the boy as she found a pair of sneakers and put them on. "and you-"

"i'm done with school. i told you already. high school starts for me after summer break. i finished early." he told her as he followed her out of her room and to the front door.

"what? you didn't say that. what are you going to do all day? don't go into my room." she warned before pulling the door open. she froze, her eyes sliding up to find seokjin standing in front of her door, his fist raised as if ready to knock. "ji-jin..." she mumbled, her heart thundering against her chest. his eyes slid from her to jungkook and back to her.

"who's this?"

"a childhood friend from my hometown. a junior." areum replied quickly and she saw relief flood through seokjin's eyes. "but, um, what are you doing here, jin?" he gave her a warm smile and she hadn't realized how much she's missed it till just then.

"i've missed you." he reached a hand out and took hers into his, their fingers hooking together. "let me walk you to school."

"okay." she nodded and looked over at jungkook, ignoring the way his eyebrows furrowed together or the questioning look in his eyes. "i'll see you after i get done with classes. we'll talk later." she told him and before he could respond, she stepped out of her apartment, shutting the door behind her.

"why is he living with you?" jin asked and areum's eyes slid up to meet his. 

"he starts high school after the summer break and he doesn't have anywhere else to stay." 

"are you sure it's okay with taehyung to be living with another man?" he questioned carefully as they started their way to school.

"he's not a man, he's a sixteen year old boy. and, u-um, taehyung and i broke up." jin stopped at that, a frown tugging at his lips.

"you broke up? after... after everything?!" areum could tell he was angry and upset, and even hurt, just from the way he was looking at her.

"ye-yes. and... and i'm so sorry you got hurt in the process of... of me trying to figure out what the hell i want." she apologized, dropping her head, her eyes staring at the sidewalk. "even now, i still don't know what i want, but i think taehyung and i are over for good. he's the one that ended it."

"areum..."

"i'm just... god, i wish it was easy. i wish i knew what i wanted and i wish it didn't hurt so much to have taehyung tell me that he didn't even mean to fall in love with me... because i was a bet. and i-"

"areum, it's okay." jin hushed her with his soft voice, his hands lifting her face, so her eyes met his. he smiled down at her and then pulled her into his chest, into a gentle hug - something she's missed so much. she sniffled and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into his chest. "it's okay to be confused. whatever is meant to happen will find its way, okay? just breathe and let it be."


	32. Chapter 32

areum half hoped that maybe her day wouldn't - in the very least - get worse. she went through half the day, fine as she could have been. morning classes were quiet and it didn't seem like taehyung or anyone were spreading nasty rumors about the poor girl who screwed up with dating one of the boys. lunch was okay too. she sat outside with seokjin and hoseok stopped by for a second before going off to yoongi - who was still ignoring her she guesses.

after lunch though, she cursed herself for being stupid. how could her day go by easily and peaceful? peaceful was not a word in her life. she honestly didn't want to cause a scene - everyone was already talking about her as it was - but as soon as seokjin's hand clamped down on her shoulder and heard the pity and little bit of 'told you so's' in his voice... she really wished she had just stayed home. "areum, let's just go. we can go get coffee or-" anything else he was saying fell dead on her ears because she only saw her ex-boyfriend in the back of the room, with some girl on his lap, her arms slung over his shoulders as they made out. it made her sick. maybe because she was coming to realize she definitely had strong feelings for taehyung, no matter how much she tried to think otherwise, or maybe it was because the girl on his lap was suzy and she just really hated her. "areum." seokjin said her name louder, pulling her out of her thoughts and gaining taehyung's attention. their eyes locked for a second and saw his face scrunch up in a scowl when he saw seokjin at her side. as if he still had the right to get angry!

"seokjin..." areum breathed, still unable to tear her gaze away from taehyung's, even as he blatantly pulled suzy into another kiss, his eyes never leaving hers. "pl-please take me away from here... oh my... i can't breathe." her eyes fluttered closed and it was so weird to feel how much her heart hurt. she was so angry at herself - so upset - because how did she let a guy like taehyung do this to her?

"okay." seokjin's voice whispered in her ear and her eyes flickered open to meet his soft, gentle gaze. "just let me do one thing first, okay?"

"wh-what-" her words fell short as she watched seokjin storm over to taehyung and without so much as a word punched him right in the nose. she gasped, covering her mouth with her shaky hands, as taehyung fell from his desk.

"not once, tae, but twice you screwed up. you broke her heart twice." jin muttered through clenched teeth, his voice shaking with anger. "i'll be damned if i let you do it again." the two stared at each other for a moment before taehyung threw his head back and started laughing. areum's eyes widened in surprise, watching as his body shook with laughter.

"you must be _so_ happy to be back with my sloppy seconds." his eyes met hers for a second, but it was probably the most agonizing second in her life, before he looked back at seokjin. "she was great while i had her. i thought she was different, but you know... she's just like all the other girls. throwing themselves to whoever fits their needs." his words pained her and she wanted to be so angry. she wanted to tell him that she loves him and that at the same time she hates him for being so mean, but... she can tell from the look in his eyes that he doesn't mean the words. she can tell from the shake in his voice that he's hurt and sure that she doesn't love him as much as he does her. it's silly really, how they're here saying these hurtful things towards each other when really they're so deeply in love with each other.

"you asshole!" seokjin's angry scream makes areum pull herself out of her head once again and launch forward to grab seokjin before he threw another punch. "areum."

"enough!" she yelled, the tears she had forgotten to cry earlier welling up in her eyes. "honestly, as much as i would love to see taehyung get some sense punched into him... it isn't worth it. if that is..." her eyes met his once again and at that moment she just really wished things would be okay. "if that is what he thinks then he's stupider than i had thought, because he doesn't know how much i love him and how much it hurts." taehyung's lip quivers but he said nothing as seokjin's body relaxed under her touch. "let's go, jin-oppa." he grunted in response, pulling away from her and storming out of the classroom.

"areum-"

"don't tae. you've already said what you've thought and you've made it pretty clear that we're over. i'm leaving."


	33. Chapter 33

"are you going out?" areum asked from her spot on the couch, as she watched jungkook stumble around the apartment, trying to get himself dressed.

"yes, jimin is having a party. do you want to come?" he asked, as he slipped on his shoes. she shook her head and held on tighter to her cup of coffee. going out did not sound like any fun at all currently. her bed or maybe some alcohol was calling her name. "areum, you should come. you can't keep yourself cooped up in here. school is over and it's finally summer break! you should come have fun with me."

"no, i'm tired. i don't want to." she mumbled, her eyes flickering back to the drama series playing on her tv. she honestly had no idea what was going on because she hadn't been paying attention. she kept thinking about the last time she saw taehyung and she kept wishing he'd message her... telling her he was sorry and that he wanted to be back together.

"it won't hurt forever." jungkook's voice brought her out of her thoughts and she frowned, looking over at him. "i know you're sad and i know the reason you always have your phone on you is because of him. he won't make you happy, areum."

"i don't care about taehyung anymore." areum argued back, rolling her eyes despite the fact... that he was right. she hadn't let her phone out of her sight for the past week and every time it buzzes and taehyung's name doesn't show up, she feels her heart being ripped up all over again. he doesn't care about her - he never did. he didn't love her half as much as she did him. she has to keep telling herself that or she'll never get over him.

"has anyone ever told you how bad you are at lying?" jungkook teased with a soft chuckle that warmed her heart just a little bit.

"only everyone i've ever met. apparently, i'm so good at lying that they don't even believe me." she shrugged her shoulders and smiled over at him. "it must be a gift." he returned the smile, but it didn't really reach his eyes. lately, it's been like that a lot - for both of them. maybe she's making him that way... making him worry over her because she's still chasing after some guy that dumped her like trash and broke her heart. "i'm sorry, jungkookie."

"for what?" his eyebrow raised in surprise as he sat down next to her on the couch, swinging his arm over her shoulders. "you shouldn't feel sorry for being sad. i know it hurt you badly, areum. i just... i just hope after this... you'll realize how much you're worth. you deserve so much better. you deserve the world." he whispered, before bringing a hand up to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. his fingers lingered there for a second before he sucked in a deep breath and dropped his hand, a smile tugging at his lips. "you're an amazing girl and taehyung lucked out."

"thank you." jungkook always knew exactly what to say to make her feel better. he's always been this kind since they were children. she almost forgot how amazing that smile of his was.

"i'll see you later tonight... if you're up." he promised and areum closed her eyes as he pressed his lips to her forehead before standing up. "don't force yourself to stay up though. i know how you are." he teased and her eyes fluttered open to see him grinning down at her. she stuck her tongue out and he shot her a cheeky wink before leaving. she sighed and looked down at her coffee and decided she definitely wanted something a little stronger than coffee. she got off the couch and padded off to the kitchen, dumping the coffee down the sink before going to the cupboard. she found her brother's old wine glass, that she had stolen a long time ago for times just like this, and then grabbed a bottle of wine seokjin brought over once for her birthday. she was never really a drinker, especially by herself, but she just felt like she needed it... maybe deserved it? she poured the wine into her glass, all the way to the top.

"i'm going to drink this whole bottle by myself." she declared out loud and takes a long, big sip of the wine. it's as yummy as she remembers it on her birthday and it brings back memories of seokjin and how easy her life was before taehyung came into it. the nostalgia she's in is interrupted when she hears a soft knock on her door. at first, she's sure it's just jungkook and he must have forgotten something but he has a key now. "i wonder who it is~" she hums and pours herself more wine before going to her door. she wings open the door and her eyes slide up to meet a pair of dark brown ones.

"tae-taehyung..." areum murmurs and she's sure that she's just imagining him. she knows she's definitely a lightweight when it comes to alcohol and she kind of already feels the buzz from chugging down the whole glass of wine in one go. she definitely had to be imagining him... right?

"drinking alone?" he asked, his low, oh-so-familiar voice hit areum hard. his eyes slide to the wine glass in her hand and he lifts his hand, reaching for it as he steps forward, backing her into her apartment.

"w-what are you doing here?' she asks, trying to make sense of what was happening as he shuts the door - her glass of wine now in his hands - before he meets her gaze. it's the look she's longed for over the past couple of weeks, something she's missed so much, she's lost sleep over it.

"i came to see you. we need to clear some things up."

"i thought everything was pretty clear when you sent me that message or you know when you were making out with suzy." areum growled, finally deciding to just be angry and not really think about why he was here now. she snatched her wine from him and chugged it down, much faster than the first time. she turns her back to him and heads to the kitchen, making a beeline for the wine, but her fingers only brush the bottle before she's being whirled around. she gasps, her eyes sliding up to meet taehyung's, his hand gripping her wrist as he pulls her forward, their chests pressed together. it's been so long since she's felt his hands on her or seen his face up close. god, she's missed him... she's missed him so fucking much it hurts and she really hates him for showing up now, of all times.

"we really need to talk."


	34. Chapter 34

"i don't want to talk to you." areum slurred, struggling to pry herself out of taehyung's grip. "let me go! let me go right now, taehyung!" she cried, tears welling up in her eyes. he grunted in reply and pushed her back so her back was against the counter. his hands slammed down on the counter on either side of her so there was no way to escape. her eyes slid up to meet his and she glared at him before hitting him in the chest. "i hate you! why do i keep finding myself in situations like this? why do i keep wanting to go back to you?! i hate you!" she screamed and she couldn't hold the tears back anymore.

"we're here because you can't figure out what you want!" he snapped, his voice filled with anger - making her flinch back into the counter. "you're so, so fucking stupid. i love you, areum. i've never loved someone so much and you... you can't decide if i'm the one. well..." he trailed off, his eyes sliding from hers to her lips. "well... i am. i am the one. no one will love you as much as i do." his gaze met hers again and she sucked in a deep breath before biting down on her lip.

"if you loved me... you wouldn't have kissed her." she whispers, her mind going back to that day. she doesn't think she's hated someone so much and still desperately wants to be with them at the same time. "you wouldn't have sent me that message! you wouldn't have said those hurtful things. _i'm your sloppy seconds,_ tae?! ha..." she continued, the anger she had been repressing, boiling up. "if... if that's what you're going to do when there's a problem, i don't want to be with you. god, it hurts so much to be with you and i hate it!"

the room went quiet for a second and for ten agonizing moments, taehyung simply stared down at her. she could tell he was struggling between yelling back or just leaving. "if you loved me at all, you wouldn't have shacked up with some kid or gone back to seokjin. i wouldn't have found yoongi in your apartment that night." his words were meant to be spiteful and she could tell by how bitter his voice was. it worked.

"you've got to be kidding me!" areum scoffed and pushed him away, turning her back to him as she reached out to grab the bottle of wine from the counter. "one, jungkook isn't just any kid. he's my childhood friend and he needed somewhere to live for the summer." she tried to keep her voice cool as she continued to fill her glass with red wine. "second, seokjin is and always will be my best friend before anything. if you must know, he's been there for me more than you ever have."

"areum-"

"third, yoongi was in my apartment that night because... well, i guess that's not really any of your business because..." she trailed off, turning to meet his eyes. if she had been sober or angry too, she would have been scared by the dark look he was giving her, but she wasn't. "we're not even together right now. you basically broke up with me, remember?"

"i thought you didn't love me, areum-"

"well, i do!" she yelled, slamming the glass down on the counter - wine splashing everywhere. "i love you, okay?! i've tried hard not to. i've tried to tell myself that i just thought i loved you and i've tried to tell myself i deserve so much better, because i do! i do, but i still love you. i love kim taehyung, even though he's a selfish, asshole that hurts-" her words fall short when he steps forward and grabs her face before roughly pulling her toward him and slamming his lips against hers. she pressed her hands against his chest and turned her head away. "no, taehyung! you still-"

"i'm sorry. i'm sorry i'm an asshole and i'm sorry i hurt you. i just... do you know how much you've hurt _me_? you were so confused, so unsure of my love." his voice trembled as he spoke and her eyes slid to meet his. he sighed, pressing his forehead to hers. "i love you so fucking much, areum, and when you weren't sure you felt the same way... i was so angry. love me, areum. just me, please." he mumbled, his eyes closing. her breath hitched in her throat, because she was so weak to taehyung when he was like this. she was wrapped around his finger so easily. with shaky hands, she took his face and pressed her lips gently to his.

"we're not good for each other, you know?" his eyes open and they're a different kind of dark this time. the look he gives areum makes her shudder with excitement - it's the look filled with love, want, lust, and possessiveness - and she loves it. his large hands slide along her arms, before finding her hands and intertwines their fingers together.

"i love you." he breathed and her eyes flutter close as he presses his lips along her neck. "i love how stubborn you are. i love that crazy temper of yours. i love your smile, your laugh, your eyes." she can't breathe as his lips travel along her jaw and her face. "say it again." it almost sounds like a plea and her eyes open to meet his. "say it." he mutters and she squeals as he lifts her off the ground and places her on the counter, pushing everything out of the way. his eyes stayed locked with hers as he brought her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles.

"i love you, tae. it feels like i can't breathe without you here." she mumbles and grips his shoulders as he takes a step closer, his own hands resting on her legs. she takes a deep breath as his hands start to move upward. "i love you." she repeats once more and he hums happily in response.

"again."

"why are you always making me repeat myself?"

"no one ever means it. i want you to mean it." her heart hurts for him, because in this moment, she realizes taehyung has more problems than the ones she sees on the surface. he's hurting and she hasn't made an effort to even understand him.

"i mean it." areum murmurs, running her fingers through his brown locks of hair. "i'm not confused anymore and i'm sorry it took me so long to figure out you're it. i love you, kim taehyung."

"good."


	35. Chapter 35

"you have got to be fucking kidding me!" those are the exact words areum wakes up to - that and an empty bed - where taehyung should be. she's almost awake in a second as she scrambles out of bed and rushes out into the living room. she bites down on her lip, her eyes going to jeon jungkook, who stands angrily in the doorway. then they go to taehyung who's in the kitchen making coffee and definitely looking like he isn't ready to deal with whatever jungkook's problem is. jungkook spots her and she swears his face turns several shades of red. "what the fuck is he doing here?"

"yah, watch your language." areum snaps, glaring at the boy as he slams the door shut behind him and stomps his way into the kitchen.

"did you forgive this ass?"

"and if i did?"

"areum-!" 

"is it really any of your business?" taehyung interrupts and strides over to areum calmly before handing her a mug of hot coffee. she nervously accepts it, her eyes going from her boyfriend to jungkook. she sees his eyes flash with anger, before he looks back at her.

"areum, he's not good for you and you know it. why do you put yourself so low for the likes of him?" why does everyone keep saying that? why does everyone keep putting her on this freaking high pedestal? she's not that amazing of a person. "whatever." jungkook grunts when areum doesn't reply and starts for the bathroom. "you'll find out and i'm just sorry you'll find out the hard way." he says before slamming the bathroom door behind him. she sighs, wrapping both her hands around her mug of coffee, before taking a drink.

"he's right, you know."

"what?" areum's eyes snap up to meet taehyung's. he's smiling down at her with this sad, soft smile and it kind of makes her heart hurt a bit.

"you are too good for me, but guess what?" he hums, taking her coffee and placing both of their mugs on the counter. he wraps his arms around her waist and tugs her forward so their bodies are pressed together.

"hm?"

"i'm a selfish jerk and i don't want to let you go." he pressed his lips to her nose and she giggled, before wrapping her arms around his neck, clasping her hands together. "i love you, areum." he murmurs, his lips meeting hers. she lets her eyes close and she melts into the kiss.

"i love you too." she says as they pull away from each other. her eyes open as his hands slid under her shirt and rest on her sides. "what are you doing today?"

"i actually have an audition at a company. if i make it, i can become a trainee." he replies and his eyes light up. areum smiles, running her hands through his hair as he walks them to the couch. he sits down and pulls her down onto his lap. "this is what i've wanted for a long time and i think i'm gonna make it."

"i'm happy for you." she coos softly and he grins down at her. she thinks it's the first time he looks like a boy his age. "is that your dream? to be an idol?" she asks him and he nods his head almost immediately.

"since i was like twelve." she chuckles and nods her head.

"i can see it."

"yeah?"

"absolutely. i think people would love you." she hums and presses a soft kiss to his lips. "i'm already your number one fan." taehyung quirked an eyebrow at that, his lips tugging up into a smirk. his hands trace along her sides and slide around to her back before jerking her forward.

"oh yeah?"

"of course." she giggles and slides her hands up his bare chest. his eyes flutter close and he groans at her touch. she takes a little pride in making him this way - so vulnerable, so in love with her.

"oh my god!" areum jumps at the sound of jungkook's voice behind them and glances over her shoulder to see him stepping out of the bathroom. "can you please not start taking your clothes off here? like, i sleep there, and i really don't fucking like that guy." he whines - his voice angry, but still so childish.

"then i'll take her clothes off in her room." taehyung sassed and areum squealed as he stood up from the couch, taking her with him. she hurriedly wrapped her legs around his waist to keep herself from sliding off of him. "is that okay with you or...?" jungkook growled, but she could see his expression break and she suddenly remembered what they talked about a couple nights ago. she lightly hit taehyung's chest, telling him to stop and he grunted, before taking them to her bedroom, shutting the door with a little more aggression than necessary.

"why do you talk down to him like that? he's a kid, tae. whether or not you like it... he's my roommate, taehyung." areum told him as he set her down on her bed.

"which reminds me, telling me he's a kid doesn't stop the fact that he digs you or that you're sleeping in the same apartment with a hormonal teenager." taehyung growls, climbing onto the bed. areum rose an eyebrow and sat up, pushing him away when he tried to touch her.

"really? you act more like a kid than he does. grow up, tae." she mutters and slides off the bed.

"tell him to go live with jimin. he's his friend, right? why does he need to live with you?" taehyung argued as he watches her move around her room, looking for some clean clothes for the day. she rolled her eyes and remembered one of the reasons why taehyung could be so infuriating.

"no."

"what?"

"no, i'm not telling him to leave. he's no threat to you and you aren't the boss of me. he's my friend, tae, and if you don't like that, well..." areum shrugs her shoulders and her eyes meet his. "then, i guess you're going to have to get over it." there was a long moment where they both were quiet. she silently got dressed as he sat there, watching her with narrowed eyes. she threw her hair up into a ponytail and sighed. "well? are we really going to have a fight about this after we just got back together or are you going to be your age and stop being so stupid?" she asked finally, her eyes meeting his once more.

"fine." he huffed and held his hands out. areum hesitantly placed hers into his and let him pull her over to him, standing her between his legs. "fine, it bothers me, but i'll get over it." she smiled and ran her fingers through his hair before giving a quick peck on his forehead.

"you're the best boyfriend ever." he shrugged his shoulders, that smile she loves so much back on his lips.

"i know."


	36. Chapter 36

"i can't believe you forgave that jerk again." seokjin snapped, making areum flinch from across the table. they were having a lunch date, something they've started doing since summer vacation started and it was absolutely going downhill today. as soon as she told him about taehyung, the mood turned sour. "he'll hurt you, he always does. that's what he does. he's the type of guy to only care about himself. if he doesn't need you, areum, he'll throw you away." his words stung a bit, she admits. she had no supporters when it came to taehyung. maybe her brother, but only because he didn't know about how taehyung and her started dating because she was a bet. it was a little disheartening to hear the same words she's heard everyone else come from seokjin. he's her best friend and that's why she takes his words more seriously. she hated to think that taehyung could leave her again.

"i'm trusting taehyung again." areum started carefully, her eyes flickering up to meet seokjin's. they were cold, harsh even, and it wasn't often that they were directed at her. "i hope it doesn't come down to him hurting me again-"

"me either but-"

"but, i hope if it happens, you'll be there for me. i know that i've hurt you, jin. you don't know how much i wish i could take it back. everything. sometimes i wish i had fallen in with you long before taehyung came into my life, but he did. and i love him... but... you're my best friend, jin. i don't want to lose you because of my boyfriend." seokjin stared back at her for a moment before letting out a long sigh.

"i'll be here for you. you know that. i just... i don't want to see you hurt again. don't let that guy push you around, okay? i'll kick his ass if he hurts you a third time." she nodded and smiled at him before reaching over to grab his hand. "i love you, areum." she should have just said it back and thought of it as a best friend kind of love, but she could hear something in his voice. she could hear the tremble in his voice and the way his eyes softened when he looked at her, sort of broke her heart... so instead, she nodded and slipped her hand away from his. "areum-"

"one second, jin. my phone..." areum mumbled, hearing the sound of her phone buzzing. she sifted through her bag and pulled it out before pressing it to her ear. "hello?"

"areum. where are you? i'm at the apartment and there's only a stupid kid here." taehyung's voice came over the line, making her smile.

"i'm with seokjin. we made plans a couple of days ago." she responded and frowned when the line went quiet. "hello? tae?"

"why are you with seokjin?"

"um, because he's my friend, tae? why? is there a problem?"

"yeah. he has feelings for you. i don't really think it's a good idea to be going out with him." she could hear the anger laced in his voice and it almost made her laugh, because she could not believe he was picking a fight with her over her friendship with seokjin.

"well, is isn't really your choice who i hang out with, taehyung. i'm hanging up. i'll talk to you later." she snapped into the phone before angrily ending the call and shoving it back into her bag. she ignored the way it continued to buzz and looked over at seokjin.

"he told you that you couldn't be around me, huh?" seokjin chuckled and shook his head. "he's not good for you, areum. you're in a not-so-healthy relationship. it isn't going to end well, you know?"

"it's fine. he can't tell me what to do and he'll have to learn that. i'll talk to him when i get home." areum argued back, before pushing the topic aside. "let's order."

**―**

"this guy has been sulking for the past two hours. will you stroke his ego and make him leave before i strangle him?" jungkook said as areum opened the door to her apartment. she scowled at him, slamming the door shut, before heading to the kitchen - ignoring the glare she was receiving from the man sprawled out on her couch. "is he moving in or what? this apartment is too small for three-"

"jungkook, here." she placed some money in his hand and waved him off toward the door. "go out and buy some milk. you're the only one that has to eat cereal every morning and also has to have three cups of milk a day."

"can i keep the change?"

"whatever." she rolled her eyes as he grabbed his coat and left the apartment - leaving just her and taehyung there.

"areum." taehyung finally spoke, pulling himself off the couch and making his way to the kitchen. she was weak to taehyung, but she wasn't going to let him win this time. he had no right to tell her who she could or couldn't hang out with. she wasn't going to let him push everyone she cares about out of her life because he has jealousy issues. she turned her head away and continued to give him the cold shoulder as she made her way to the bedroom. "that's mature." he scoffed, following her as she entered her room. she flung her coat off and went about changing and cleaning her face while pretending to be oblivious to taehyung's presence. it probably wasn't the best way to go about things and it really was going to make him even more mad, but why should she let him control her? jin is right. what they have right now isn't healthy at all and even though she loves tae - so, so much - she wasn't going to end up broken trying to please him.

taehyung watched her from the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes narrowed. "seokjin says you aren't good for me, tae, and i'm starting to think that he's right. we've been back together for what? a week now? and already you're picking fights with me over stupid things and trying to tell me what to do." areum finally spoke, getting right to the point.

"i'm not controlling you. but honestly? that guy had feelings for you, areum, for fucks sake! i don't like him." taehyung growled, stepping all the way into her room. she lifted her head, her eyes finally meeting his for the first time since she got home. "we can't make things work if you've got different guys everywhere. you live with one, you're best friends with one. it's a bit much, don't you think?"

"i didn't ask for your opinion but thanks." she scoffed, shaking her head. she couldn't believe this. why couldn't they just be happy? why was there always **_something_**? "i'm pretty sure we talked about jungkook already and ended that discussion. on the seokjin topic, i knew him even before i knew you. i'm sorry, but if you think i'm going to boot him out of my life because you don't like him, you're sorely mistaken, taehyung."

"it's me or him."

"what? you can't be-"

"i'm telling you right now. choose. me or seokjin." areum felt her heart drop. she literally could not be happy. the world wouldn't allow it. how unfair. "it shouldn't be a hard choice." she could physically feel the tears coming at the thought of losing either of them. how could taehyung ask this of her?

"taehyung, don't do this to me. w-why are you always doing these things? who messed you up so much that you have so little trust in the people you care for? that's it, isn't it? you don't trust me." areum argued and when he didn't respond she knew she hit the target. a part of her just wanted to break it off with the guy - she's been through so much and she's sick of it. just break up with him and never see him again. the other part of her wanted to heal this broken man and understand why he had so little faith in the people around him though - why he was so jealous and felt so much distrust.

"areum..." taehyung murmured and took a step forward, his hand reaching up to grab her face. "pick me or seokjin." his words went through one ear and out the other. he was set - determined.

which part of her outweighed the other?


	37. Chapter 37

"god, of course i choose you, tae." areum cried, hitting his chest. "why do you make me do these things? i love you. what else do you need?" she looked up at him and desperately just wanted to know how this boy became so broken. his lip quivered as he refused to meet her eyes. "kim taehyung." she lifted her hands to his face and tilted his head to meet her eyes. "i don't know who hurt you before but i am not them. no matter what, you will always be the one for me." she tiptoed so she could reach his lips and pressed a soft kiss to them, before running her hands through his brown hair. "i love you." she hummed and she would have been surprised when he buried his face into her neck and began to cry, but by now, she knew how sensitive her boyfriend was. "you're it, remember?" she murmurs, running her hands gently up and down his back as he backed them up to fall onto her bed.

"i'm sorry... i'm just so... so scared you're going to leave me. you're too good for me and there will be a time when you know that and you'll get sick of me." he mumbled, pulling areum over so she sat on top of his stomach. she comfortingly ran her hands up his chest and smiled down at him. she never saw a puffy, red eyed taehyung before. it relieved her in some way because at least she knew now that his cold exterior is only to hide how sad he is.

"i won't leave." areum told him as he placed his hands under her shirt, rubbing circles against her skin.

"you don't have to choose me or seokjin. i'm sorry for making you do that." he replied after a second. "as much as i hate to admit it, he's a better guy for you and i'm a little more than a bit insecure when it comes to you." he gave a soft chuckle as areum laid down on his chest, burying her face into the crook of his neck.

"can i ask you a question, tae?" 

"hm?"

"why are you so insecure? i mean, no offense, but you kind of have it all. money, people love you, you're handsome. all that jazz." areum lifted her head to meet his gaze. she could tell he was about to throw his walls up, but they weren't going to get anywhere if they couldn't even help one another. "don't shut me out. let me help you, baby." his eyes are full of hesitation, as if he's calculating whether or not he can trust her. it hurts knowing that he can't fully trust her - that he thinks she's going to hurt him and leave.

"i don't have everything. it only looks like that." he mumbled with a sigh. "my father might be some big shot CEO and i might have a ton of money at my fingertips but..." his voice trembled and areum has never heard him sound so vulnerable. "when i was twelve, i think, my mom left us. my father isn't really the loving family type and my mom left. she left me so she could be happy."

"oh tae-"

"and then my younger brother - he killed himself. my father tore him down so much that he hated breathing. he could never ignore it like i could and it hurt him more it did me. he hung himself and right in my father's office." taehyung scoffed, his eyes narrowing as he looked anywhere but at her. her heart hurt for him. how lonely he must feel to have everyone he loves leave him... "the first girl i ever loved played both me and my best friend... so i lost the girl and the only person i could talk to." she gave him a small smile before taking his face into her hands, pressing soft kisses against his lips. he sighed, his eyes closing and his hands squeezing her sides. "anyone i've ever cared for has left me one way or another."

"taehy-"

"don't leave me." it was a plea and areum hated herself for making him think he had to beg her to stay. his eyes fluttered open, meeting hers, before pulling her into a kiss. the kiss was more hungry - desperate - than before and made her feel like she had to prove to him she wasn't going anywhere. she tangled her hands into his hair and pressed closer, sighing into the kiss as their tongues met. his hands slid up her shirt, roaming her skin - feeling her everywhere. "i'll love you forever, areum." he said, parting from the kiss but pressing his forehead to hers. she caught her breath and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her.

"forever."


	38. Chapter 38

"my dad wants to meet you."

"what?" areum looked up from her book, raising an eyebrow. taehyung was lazily sprawled out on the couch, his head resting in her lap. jungkook had gone out for the day, telling them that they were being gross and he couldn't stand it any longer. taehyung had happily held the door open for him and she didn't mind too much because it was alone time with tae.

"my dad. he heard about us." he mumbled, slipping the book away from her hands and tossing it to the floor. he took one of her hands into his and pressed his lips to it. "he wants to see you."

"how in the world did he hear about us? did you tell him about us?"

"no, but when you're dating someone like me in a school like ours, word gets around." he continued to press kisses to her hands, his eyes meeting hers. "what do you say?"

"no way! taehyung, i've said it before but i'm nothing like you. if anything, this meeting with your father will just be him telling me to get out of your life before i mess it up. you know, he'll pay me money to send me off or something."

"this isn't one of those dramas you watch. this is real life, areum." taehyung rolled his eyes with a short chuckle. she hits his shoulder which only made him laugh harder. "i'm not too fond of the idea either but it'll get him off my back for a little while. please?" 

"tae, i don't know..."

"babe..." he hummed, his hand reaching up to wrap around the back of her neck, gently pulling her down. "please, baby." his lips pressed against hers once and a second time. "it's dinner tonight, at six. after, i'll take you somewhere nice."

"somewhere nice?" areum breathed into the kiss, their lips meshing together again. her eyes fluttered closed as taehyung's fingers tangled in her hair, pulling her closer.

"yes." she felt taehyung smile against her lips before she pulled away, the position they were in getting to be too uncomfortable.

"fine." she sighed and his smile grew. she couldn't say no to him if she wanted to. just one smile and she'd do anything for him. "just dinner, but i won't just let him talk down to me, tae. if he's anything like the way you describe him then-"

"and i don't expect you to. i won't let him either. just meet him this once, okay? senior year for us is coming and after we graduate we won't even have to worry about it. we can do whatever we want then." his hand found hers again and laced their fingers together. "thank you." he whispered and she smiled, using her free hand to run her fingers through his hair.

"you better be taking me somewhere pretty freaking amazing."

"you'll love it."

**―**

"is that what you're wearing?" areum frowned, her eyes meeting taehyung's in the mirror that she was standing in front of. she ran her hands down her black dress nervously. it was rather form fitting, hitting just at mid-thigh length. maybe it was too much?

"is it too much? do i not look good in it?"

"hm... no, but..." taehyung trailed off, walking up behind her, his arms sliding around her waist before pulling her back against his chest. "i almost don't want to go anymore. should we just stay home tonight?"

"tae!" she exclaimed, gasping as one of his hands slid up her leg and slipped under her dress. she snapped her hand out, gripping his wrist and stopped it from sliding up any further. "no way, kim taehyung! we have to meet your dad in an hour for dinner that **_you_** set up."

"it's your fault for looking so good." he whispered against her neck, placing open mouthed kisses along it. she let out a shaky breath, her resolve breaking. "areum..." he breathed, his hand easily breaking free from her grip and continuing up her leg. her breath hitched when they reached her panties, a finger slipping under the waistband.

"t-taehyung, please..." areum whimpered, her body trembling as his lips continued their relentless attack on her neck. "we have to...-"

"do you really want me to stop? hm?" his fingers continued to play with the waistband of her panties before she finally came back to her senses. she yanked away, whirling around to hit him in the chest.

"yes! i'm going to be really mad if we don't make it to the dinner, tae!"

"you didn't even want to go before." he sassed back, his lips tugged up in a smug smirk. areum glared at him and gave him a firm poke in the chest. after practically begging her and he's messing around. she admits, she would totally opt out of going to dinner with his big CEO daddy, but it was bound to happen once and she'd like to get it over with. tae was right, in a year, they'd pretty much be adults and their parents (his father, really) wouldn't be able to do anything about their relationship.

"kim taehyung, if we don't go to that dinner then..."

"what?" he challenged, taking a step forward, his hands pressing against her sides.

"then nothing will happen at all tonight." this time it was areum's turn to look smug and she smiled up at him as his expression falters.

"okay then. let's go."

"that's a good boy."

"don't push it."


	39. Chapter 39

the table was tense as soon as they sat down. areum exchanged greetings with a man that looked too much like taehyung that there was no doubt he was his father. he had a blonde foreign woman at his side that he had introduced to them as annalia. she offered her hand to taehyung first but he had his head turned and sat down, his hands in his pockets. it was the look on his father's face that made areum shoot her hand out and take the woman's. "nice to meet you. i'm kim taehyung's girlfriend, areum." annalia smiled warmly at her and she returned it, bowing her head a little. areum ignored taehyung's glare and sat down next to him, quickly taking a sip of the ice water, hoping it would maybe wash away how nervous she was feeling.

"if it's not too forward, may i ask what your parents do, areum?" taehyung's father finally spoke and her body stilled. they were jumping right into questions. she hadn't even said anything and she could see the disappointment in his eyes. he already knows that she doesn't come from a wealthy family and yet he's still asking her.

"my parents passed away when i was nine. i grew up under my brother's care." areum spoke carefully and from the corner of her eye she could see taehyung's frown deepen. they hadn't talked about her parents or her life before him. it dawned on her that she knew more about taehyung than he did about her. how odd.

"i apologize then." mr. kim cleared his throat, his eyes averting to the menu in front of him. "and what is it you want to do? after you graduate, that is."

"dad-"

"i want to pursue an acting career." she challenged, her own eyes glued to the menu as well. the man scoffed and she didn't have to look up at him to know how he felt about what she just said. she couldn't understand. maybe it was because she never had parents to really push her dreams away like nothing and her brother was always supportive of what she wanted as long as she graduated high school. her eyes slid over to taehyung and she felt sorry for him in that moment. his dreams, his wants, everything must have always been squashed. and by his father, someone who should always be there for you. he must be so hurt inside. she's pulled out of her thoughts as mr. kim's voice meets her ears once again.

"a silly dream just like tae's. acting and singing are not practical careers. if you're even thinking of having a future with taehyung then-"

"dad!" areum jumped at the raise of taehyung's voice and glanced over at him again. his eyes had darkened as he glared over at his father. "that's enough." the two had a quiet stare off as her and the blonde woman sat there awkwardly. "i'm going to use the restroom, excuse me." she opened her mouth to protest but he gave her thigh a soft squeeze, telling her he'd be right back before getting up and leaving. she felt her heart pick up its pace and suddenly wished she had tried harder to say no to this stupid dinner.

"miss areum." at the sound of her name she looked across to taehyung's father. the look he was giving her was the one she had been dreading. it was the look of disapproval, the look that told her that he definitely was not going to let her be with his son no matter how much she loved him. "let me get to the point. how much?"

"what?" she replied back in disbelief, her eyes narrowing. she had dreams of this exact scene, only in her dream two handsome, rich guys were fighting for her heart and it was the evil mother always trying to get in the way.

"how much do you want? how much do i have to give you to leave my son? do you want to go to america? i can send you to a nice college." his words stung much more than she had ever thought such words would.

"dear..." annalia muttered at his side but mr. kim waved her off. her mouth clamped shut and she averted her cold stare to the table. areum almost felt sorry for her too but she had chosen to be with him, didn't she?

"nothing. i want nothing, especially from you." areum spat back and scoffed. "i told taehyung this dinner was a terrible idea." she stood up from her seat and grabbed her coat. "i'll have you know that i love taehyung, mr. kim. i'll love him more than you ever had or will. money and whatever fancy shit you think you can buy me and send me off, i don't want it. i was raised better than that. money means nothing to me."

"i'm sorry, areum, but i can't let you date my son. you aren't good enough." she swallowed down the humiliation and shame his words were making her feel and put on her best front.

"do you want to know something? for a while, i thought your son was a spoiled brat that got everything he wanted. he was rude and toyed with people's feelings like they were nothing, but... now i think he must have been neglected a lot when he was a child. you didn't give him the love he needed and he came out the way he is now."

"areum-"

"lucky for you, i love him anyways..." areum turned on her heels and started to make her way out of the restaurant. the moment she had stepped inside, she felt out of place but now that everyone was looking at her, she felt she might be sick. she pushed through the doors and stepped out into the warm summer night. she took a deep breath, the tears that she had kept in so well, now pouring over. god, his words made her feel so worthless. she was second-guessing herself now. could she be with taehyung when his dad was so bent on her not being with him? could they work?

"areum..." she let out a startled gasp as a pair of arms wrap around her waist and pull her back. her eyes closed at the sound of taehyung's voice and she let him press her back against his chest.

"he tried to give me money to leave you." she told him and she heard him chuckle. "i thought you said this wasn't a drama, taehyung." she muttered, her own voice tinged with amusement. she turned in his arms and met his eyes. his expression didn't show it but his eyes told her how embarrassed he was. he was sorry that his father acted in such a rude way and it made her smile. she lifted her hands and took his face into them. "do you know how much i love you, kim taehyung?"

"how much?" he hummed, his eyes fluttering close as her fingers trace down his face and neck until she laces them behind his neck.

"in such a short time, you've become my everything, tae. i couldn't even think about leaving you now." areum pressed a soft kiss to his lips and he smiled into it, his grip on her waist tightening. "you're it forever."

"have i told you how amazing you are?" he murmured and she giggled as his eyes opened and met hers once again.

"no."

"you are. you are the most amazing woman i have ever met and i'm so glad you're mine." he took her hand in his and brought it to his lips, pressing a couple kisses to her knuckles. "i love you, baby." for a couple of moments, they just enjoyed each other's touches, whispering sweet things to each other until she remembered that they were still outside the restaurant. she cleared her throat and took a step back, but keeping her fingers laced with his.

"you have somewhere nice to take me, don't you?" areum asked and she could see in his eyes that he had questions for her. she did too, but that could wait. they had a lot to discuss... she just didn't feel like talking about it right this moment. "take me away, please."

"as you wish."


	40. Chapter 40

the drive to taehyung's secret place was quiet. areum thinks they both had a lot on their minds. she couldn't get the thought of her not being enough for a guy like taehyung out of her head. maybe they didn't belong with each other and they'd be better off breaking up sooner rather than later. she wasn't the only one thinking too hard. she could tell by the way taehyung's eyebrows were scrunched up and his eyes remained on the road that there was something something weighing on his mind.

"do you think we work, tae?" areum asked softly and she heard him suck in a deep breath, his hand tightening on the wheel. he didn't reply and instead started pulling off to the side of the dirt road he had taken them on. he put the car in park and for a second just sat there. "i've said it a ton of times before." she continued when he didn't answer. "we're different."

"i can't believe you're taking any of the man's words to heart." taehyung growled but his eyes refused to meet hers. he continued to stare out the window, huffing and puffing.

"you're the one that wanted to have dinner with him." she countered, finding herself getting angry. taehyung always brought this part of her out. he made her so mad and so frustrated but at the same time he made her feel loved and beautiful. he drove her insane.

"but he has nothing to do with us." he said and he finally looked over at her. his usually warm, soft eyes were angry. "what he says shouldn't matter. he could tell me that i'm nothing and that he wants nothing to do with me until i leave you and... i wouldn't. i love you, areum. don't let my nasty old man tell you that you aren't enough for me because it's the exact opposite."

"tae-"

"you're too good for me. i don't deserve you." he continued, his voice growing soft as he reaches over to touch her face. "i'm selfish, really. i know you can do so much better but i won't let you go." god, she loves him. she lets her eyes close at his touch and she listens to his sweet words because despite her doubts she's like a puddle of goop in his hands. "come here." he mumbled, tugging on her hand.

"what?" areum asked confused, her eyes fluttering open.

"come here." he repeated and instead of arguing, she listened. she climbed over the middle console and let him situate her on his lap. "areum." he whispered as his hands slid up and down her sides gently.

"hm?" she hummed, her eyes meeting his. she smiled down at him, lifting her hands to hold his face. "i love you, kim taehyung." she told him and pressed a soft kiss on his lips.

"do you still have doubts?" he asked, his expression quickly turning serious again. she frowned because what can she tell him? yes, she's filled with a ton of doubts. she's insecure. she doesn't think they can work. his father literally wants to send her away to get her as far away from him as much as possible.

"no..." she lies and forces a smile on her face. "no, i don't." the car is quiet for a moment and she almost can't take the intense way taehyung is staring at her with.

"damn it, don't lie to me, areum." he scowled, his hands dropping from her sides. "do you want to break up then? is it too hard for you? my father is that scary, huh?"

"do you want to break up?" areum repeated with a short laugh. "wow. ok." she shook her head in disbelief. "i can't help it, tae! your father will literally give me money to send me away from you. that is how much that man thinks that i am not worth your time. excuse me for feeling a bit insecure about that fact." she snapped back before quickly unlocking the driver's door. she pushed it open and pulled herself off of taehyung's lap before jumping outside.

"where are you going? areum." she ignored his shouting and instead started her way down the dirt road in the dark. she heard the car shut off and then the sound of him running after her. "areum!" he repeated before she's whipped around to face him.

"let go!" she demanded before trying to pull herself away from him. "kim taehyung, i swear-"

"will you stop? just stop. why are you always finding reasons for us not to be together?" he shouted, making her freeze. she thinks she was shocked because of how loud his voice was, but most of all... she thinks his words surprised her the most. "it's always like this. you always come up with some reason for us to not work out."

"let go! i do not!" aruem argued back and jerked her arm out of his grip.

"if you don't want to be with me, just tell me. why are you always like this? we fight, make up, and then fight again. it's so fucking stupid because i don't know how many times i have to tell you that i love you to get you to understand that you're all i want. damn it, areum, i would literally do anything for you."

"i know! i know that! but everyone, including your mean ass father, thinks we aren't good together. we're toxic or you're too good for me or you don't deserve me... blah, blah. i'm insecure, tae. i can't help it." areum told him as she felt tears welling up in her eyes. she so didn't want to cry. she didn't want to fight with taehyung and she didn't want to feel this stupid way.

"who gives a fuck? why do you care so much about what everyone thinks?"

"because what if they're right?"

the quiet part of a fight is always the scariest. areum never knew what taehyung was thinking when he runs his hands through his hair and lets out a grunt. is he so angry he can't even talk to her? is he wondering if maybe she's too much trouble? maybe he's rethinking if he really loves her or not.

"then i'll ask you one more time."

"taehyung, please-"

"do you want to break up now? do it now and we'll never know if we were good together. we'll never know if we prove all those jerks wrong. you could move on in your life never knowing how happy you could have been with me if you have just tried a little harder." his words were harsh, they sounded so cold... but he was right. he's always right, but why do their fights always have to end this way? "me or him" or "let's break up then." it's so tiring, so painful.

"you're such a jerk!" areum sniffed, those tears she was trying to keep in spilling over. "god, i can't believe i love you so freaking much!" she continued as taehyung started taking steps towards her.

"do you want to leave me?" he breathed as he cupped her face, his thumbs catching the tears that had escaped.


	41. Chapter 41

areum must be the stupidest human on the planet. her brain tells her to keep fighting. it tells her to keep shouting at each other until her throat hurts and there are tears streaming down her face. she can't though and instead she finds herself storming off into the dark. she can't think right. she's just so sick of feeling the way she does. "areum!" she hears taehyung shout after her and the sound of his feet crunching against the dirt road. "it's dark out, don't run off." he mumbled, his hand gripping her upper arm and roughly jerking her back. she let him pull her against his chest, her back pressed against his front as his arms wrapped around her waist tightly. for a second, she just cried in his arms. she's such a wreck, she's surprised he even tries to be with her.

"take me home, tae." she finally said after awhile. "i'm tired." she hears him sigh and his hands slide from her waist. he takes her hand and intertwines their fingers together.

"you know, we should talk." he tells her and starts leading her forward on the dirt road. they go the opposite way of where the car is parked but she doesn't have enough fight in her to question why.

"haven't we said it all?" she asked instead and taehyung grunts in response. she sees his eyes narrow in the dark and his nose scrunch up as he looks over at her. "it's true. i'm insecure and hate that everyone... that everyone hates the idea of us. and you, well, you don't care!"

"i didn't say that. i care. i care about you and what you think. everyone in the world could hate me and i would only think of you. as long as you don't leave me."

"why aren't we going to the car?" areum ignores his words and the way they make her want to forget what she's so worried about. she can't though. she has every reason to worry. how far will they get in life when his dad is trying to bribe her away and all their friends think they're better off without each other? but he's right too and she hates to admit it. why does she care so much? why is she letting these little things ruin what they have? she's so, so stupid.

"let me take you to the place." it sounded like a plea and she wonders if the tremble in his voice was because he was so scared that she'd actually leave or because he was angry. she does this to him. "areum...-"

"okay." she replies giving in instantly and lets him lead her through what seemed like a forest now with how many trees they were surrounded by. it stays quiet. the only things she can hear are the sounds of their feet against the dirt road and his quiet breathing. she wants to step closer to him and wrap her arms around him but she doesn't.

"here." he mumbled and pulled her to a stop. "close your eyes."

"tae-"

"just do it." he snaps and deciding it was best to not start fighting again, areum does. she takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. "trust me." he whispers in her ear from behind before the warmth of his hands are on her face, covering her already closed eyes. he must have noticed how nervous she was suddenly. he takes her a couple more steps forward until he stops her again, his hands sliding gently off her face to her sides. "open your eyes, areum."

she opens them and she's so happy that she does. taehyung had taken her to this little clearing that looked over the city. but the most amazing part? the sky. there were no clouds, just a beautiful sky with a million stars twinkling above them. god, it took the breath right out of her and she suddenly finds herself crying again. she can hear taehyung asking her what's wrong but she can't speak. it's just too hard. he wraps his arms around her and pulls her into his chest and whispers things like "i'm sorry" and "i love you so, so much" and "don't you know that yet?" it takes her awhile before the tears stop and she can breathe normally again.

"i'm sorry, taehyung. i just... i don't know why i'm so scared of this... of us. i've never been so in love before and it's so nerve-wracking. i keep thinking of all the ways it can go wrong and all the ways my heart can get crushed in the end. i keep thinking of your dad and how he told me i wasn't worth your time. i start to doubt myself and then us." everything areum was keeping inside came tumbling out in one big rush of words. taehyung listened though, nodding his head and letting her know that he was hearing her - understanding where she was coming from. "i want this. us... so bad, but if it doesn't work... i don't know what i'll do because i know it'll hurt so much."

"areum, babe..." taehyung whispers, his hand taking areum's face into his before he presses his lips against hers. his kisses are always different and yet they always told her one thing. that he loved her. "areum..." he repeats against her lips, his forehead pressing against hers. "i know i can't take away those doubts just like that, as much as i want to, but just know that i will never hurt you. all i can do is tell you that none of those things will happen. we will work. i told you... you're it, baby. you're the one and only forever and i'm not about to back out because my dad doesn't approve. you are worth more than just my time. i am lucky enough to have you at my side with your eyes on me and no one else. i am the lucky one." he gives her another kiss, his nose brushing hers lovingly. "just know that."

"tae." areum sighs, her eyes closing as his arms wrap around her once more, engulfing her in his warmth.

"i will always be the lucky one."


	42. Chapter 42

[a/n: warning smut ahead!]

"let's go home." taehyung's voice was soft and quiet next to areum's ear. she sighed, her eyes still glued to the stars. she loved being here - with taehyung. she honestly didn't want the night to end. "areum." he whispered her name and she found herself remembering their talk before dinner with his dad. "babyyyy~" the boy behind her whined and she giggled before turning in his arms. she smiled up at him, her arms wrapping around his neck, and her fingers tangling in his hair. "mm, what are you thinking about?"

"guess." areum mumbled back, her lips tugging into a smirk as she places pecks on his lips. he squinted his eyes, looking down at her, a serious expression on his handsome face. his eyes widened after a moment, before they darkened, his grip on her waist tightening just a bit.

"not here." taehying simply replied, before dropping his hands from her waist and taking her hand. "let's go home." he said again and she smiled, giving him one more kiss.

"okay." she hummed before starting back to the car.

**―**

as soon as they entered areum's apartment, her back is slammed up against the door. she gasps, her eyes sliding up to meet taehyung's. his brown eyes are wide and dark-filled with so much love and want. his hand grip her sides, pressing her to the wall and his body. she feels everything. his skin, his warmth, and she loves it. "areum." he whispers, releasing a shaky breath and she loves it. she reaches her hands up behind his neck and pulls him down, smashing their lips together. it's a messy, passion filled kiss. rough and harsh. his tongue flicks out, sliding across her bottom lip before slipping into her mouth. she moans as his hands push her dress up, touching everything on the way. he pulls away, slipping the dress over her head before training his eyes on her body. he looks over everything and it makes her face hot. she clears her throat and his eyes lock with hers once more.

"d-don't... don't look so hard, so intensely." areum mumbles as he slides a hand to her neck, before moving it slowly down her body. she closes her eyes and shivers, his fingertips brushing over her collarbone and the flesh just above the chest.

"you're so fucking beautiful. i can't help it. i want to look and touch everything... because it's mine. mine." he growls, his mouth near her ear. he places a kiss tenderly below it, trailing them down her neck slowly. she gasps as she feels his teeth graze her skin.

"t-tae!" his name from her lips only urges him on, as he continues to kiss, suck, and bite along her neck.

"i love you." he whispers, his fingers slipping under her bra. "open your eyes. look at me." he demands and she does. she opens her eyes, meeting his dark ones just as he slides her bra off. it's an embarrassing feeling to be looked at with such want and awe. his eyes look her over like she is the most beautiful thing on this earth. it makes her heart hammer and lose her breath. "only look at me." he continues as his hands softly massage her breast. she bites down on her lip when he starts to press against her. "you're it. only you. forever." he sweet words make her even more excited, as those large hands of his slide down her stomach. his fingers slip into the waistband of her panties. her heart is beating so hard, she's sure he can hear it. she's so nervous, but the soft kisses he presses to her body as he begins to take her underwear off makes her calm.

"t-taehyung..." areum whispers as he slides her panties slowly down her legs. once they're off, he throws them across the room, his dark eyes flickering up to meet hers. her hands tremble and taehyung only smiles and takes her hands into his.

"don't be scared." he whispers and places gentle, lingering kisses to her thighs, before traveling up. his lips dragged along her skin, occasionally grazing sensitive parts with his teeth. areum lets out a shaky sigh just as his lips found hers. this kiss was slower, more painful. their lips meshed together and taehyung wrapped his arms around her waist before lifting up her body. she gasped, her legs wrapping around him. he pressed her back to the cold wall and she closed her eyes. "let me take care of you, areum." tae's soft, deep voice whispered next to her ear before he thrusts up. she gasped, the feeling painful. she wrapped her arms around taehyung's neck, biting down on her lip to keep the tears at bay. "just a little more, babe." he continued to soothe, his hands roaming her body, leaving a trail of heat behind.

"taehyung, i love you." areum told him, her eyes opening and meeting his gaze. she pressed her forehead against his as he began to slowly move. the pain slowly subsided and was replaced with something else. "oh." she lets out a breathy moan, as taehyung held her closer to his body, pressing them against the wall. "oh.. my..."

"does that feel better, baby?" he asked in a strained voice, his own voice shaky and breathy. she could tell he was holding back for her sake and she wanted him to know it was okay to let go. she took his face into her hands and pressed a hard kiss to his lips.

"more." areum moaned, as his lips moved to her neck. "more."

"don't regret those words." he growled, stopping all movements and carrying her over to their bedroom. he threw her onto the bed before she could even call his name, he pushed back inside her.

"taehyung!" areum gasped, as he roughly thrust inside her, an amazing feeling building up inside her. "mmm..." his teeth attacked her neck, leaving purple and blue flowers in their path. "t-tae."

"areum... i love you..." tae's deep moan sent shivers throughout her body. her eyes fluttered close as he kept repeating those words. " _i love you, i love you so much. forever."_


End file.
